Bradford Ferrick has thousands of child porn videos
Bradford Ferrick was arrested in March 2023 on federal child pornography charges. (Screengrab via WCVB)
A general practitioner in Massachusetts was arrested this week on child pornography charges for allegedly possessing thousands of child sex abuse pictures and videos, authorities say.
Bradford Ferrick, 32, has been charged with possession of child pornography, a complaint filed in federal court shows. At the time of his arrest on Tuesday, he was already under house arrest on related state charges, according to a press release from the US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received three separate online tips in March 2022 about suspected child pornography uploaded to the Internet, the complaint said. Those leads were forwarded to the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) that same month, which then forwarded them to the Winchester Police Department in July 2022. In January of this year, the leads were reviewed and a state and local investigation was launched.
According to federal authorities, the tips were verified and linked to an account holder who went by the name “Tom L,” but whose IP addresses were linked to Ferrick’s father and the home the doctor shared with his parents in Winchester — as well as a separate account and an IP address associated with Syracuse, New York.
“On February 13, 2023, members of Winchester PD and members of the MSP Cyber Crime Unit executed the search warrant,” the complaint reads. “Ferrick and his parents were all at the residence. All three members of the Ferrick family declined to speak to investigators after being read miranda warnings.”
A total of 61 devices containing child pornography were seized from the Winchester home – including external hard drives, computers, cell phones, hidden camera systems and SD cards, authorities said.
Afterwards, Ferrick was arrested and charged with four state counts related to possession of child pornography. He was charged on Valentine’s Day and posted $50,000 bail – which he paid the next day. The accused was released to house arrest on February 15 with various conditions.
Two days later, the complaint said, Ferrick remotely locked one of the seized iPhones to “possibly erase evidence on the device.” A second search warrant was issued and a further 11 pieces of equipment were seized from the Winchester residence.
Less than a week later, authorities raided another apartment rented by the defendant in another Massachusetts city and confiscated eight more devices. This time, all devices were hidden cameras and USB drives, police say.
According to the federal press release, the second raid yielded particularly disturbing evidence.
“It is alleged that one of the hidden camera devices – intended to be worn as a bracelet – contained at least two covertly recorded videos of Ferrick conducting medical examinations,” US attorneys said. “It is alleged that two minors who investigators believe are patients could be heard and sometimes partially seen in the videos. The forensic examination of the devices confiscated from both apartments is still ongoing.”
The federal complaint includes graphic representations of the various videos and their file names allegedly seized from the doctor, who has primary care physicians in at least three Bay State cities. Many of the victims appear to be between the ages of 6 and 11, authorities claim.
The complaint also includes a graphic description of a medical exam performed on a boy who says he is “14 years old”.
“As a parent or guardian, I can think of no greater fear than potentially harming your child,” said US Attorney Rachael Rollins. “[W]We allege that this doctor, who held a position of trust with access to children, kept child sexual abuse material. The investigation is active and ongoing. Members of the public with questions, concerns, or information about this doctor are strongly encouraged to contact the FBI using the form provided. As members of law enforcement, child safety is our top priority. Together and in close cooperation with the medical institutions where Dr. Ferrick was engaged, we will do everything we can to determine the duration and scope of his alleged offenses and to act accordingly and expeditiously.”
Investigators also included a footnote with the complaint, stating that “open-source research into Ferrick’s background” showed that he “lived in the Syracuse, New York area between approximately 2018 and 2022 while he was serving the State University of New York” and that he graduated in May 2022.
After graduating, Ferrick began working with Baystate Franklin Family Medicine.
The company released a statement to Boston-based ABC affiliate WCVB.
“We cannot comment on pending criminal charges. Bradford Ferrick has been on unpaid administrative leave from Baystate Franklin Medical Center since mid-February,” the hospital said. “We are working with law enforcement as they continue their investigation.”
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https://lawandcrime.com/crime/feds-arrest-family-medicine-doctor-in-massachusetts-for-allegedly-possessing-vast-amounts-of-child-pornography-and-at-least-2-videos-of-his-own-patients/ Bradford Ferrick has thousands of child porn videos
