A 53-year-old physician who formerly worked at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh has been charged with possessing child sexual abuse images.

A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh indicted Dr. Ashok Panigrahy for possession of and for transportation of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday, Sept. 4. Both incidents occurred in November 2022, according to the indictment.

These crimes carry a maximum possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000.

A UPMC spokesperson told the Butler Eagle that the organization placed Panigrahy on administrative leave upon being informed by law enforcement of the investigation, and subsequently terminated him.

Until the investigation, Panigrahy served as radiologist-in-chief at the UPMC Children’s Hospital, as well as vice chairman of clinical and translational imaging research at UPMC. He also was a professor of radiology.

All pages regarding Panigrahy had been removed from the UPMC website, as well as the University of Pittsburgh website, as of Wednesday afternoon. His accounts on LinkedIn and social-media platform X also have been deleted.

Homeland Security Investigations offices in Pittsburgh and Chicago conducted the investigation. The agency plays a crucial role in investigating crimes of exploitation, including combating child exploitation, according to the Department of Homeland Security.