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Texas AG's Office: Temple pediatric doctor arrested for child porn

The criminal complaint filed against Dr. John Middlemiss Palmer said there were files in his office "depicting images of prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct."

TEMPLE, Texas -- A pediatric pulmonary physician practicing in Temple has been arrested for possession of child pornography and could face up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted, according to prosecutors.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office confirmed the state's Child Exploitation Unit arrested John Middlemiss Palmer, 55, after investigators said child porn was uploaded to an online storage account Palmer allegedly used.

A criminal complaint filed with the U.S. District Court Western District of Texas said investigators with the Office of the Attorney General's Child Exploitation Unit executed a search warrant and found Dr. Palmer's top left desk drawer was locked. It said investigators could not unlock the drawer until a locksmith with the hospital arrived.

Investigators seized "one HP laptop computer and three external hard drives," according to the complaint. The document said one of the hard drives "yielded the discovery of numerous files depicting child pornography," showing "prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct".

Palmer was affiliated with Baylor Scott and White. A spokesperson confirmed he had been terminated. And, his information was scrubbed from the healthcare organization's website.

Baylor Scott & White McLane Children's Hospital released the following statement late Friday afternoon:

"We are shocked and deeply troubled by the charges against Dr. Palmer. We first learned of the investigation this week and acted swiftly – suspending the physician on the day we learned of the investigation and terminating him immediately after his arrest. Dr. Palmer was employed by Baylor Scott & White as a pediatric pulmonologist for less than a year. He was hired in May 2017, coming highly recommended and reviewed through our employee background screening and medical staff credentialing processes. We are thoroughly cooperating with authorities in the ongoing investigation of Dr. Palmer. At this time, we have no indication that Baylor Scott & White patients are involved in this matter. As always, our patients’ well-being is our primary concern."

Lyndsey, who asked we didn't use her last name, said her infant son saw Dr. Palmer for the past seven months. He is nine months old. She said she was "very shocked" and "disheartened" at the news.

"He was very personable," she said. "He always seemed as if he wanted what was best for your child."

Lyndsey said she would have recommended anyone to Dr. Palmer based on her experience. She said it would be harder to trust doctors in the future.

The AG's office said Palmer denied any involvement with child porn.

Palmer will appear in a detention hearing on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Manske.

"Attorney General Paxton urges all parents and teachers to become aware of the risks our children face on the internet and take steps to help ensure their children’s safety," the AG's office wrote in a statement.

If you believe someone you know is making or downloading child porn, you can report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by clicking here.

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