Former UPMC Pediatrician Accused of Sexual Exploitation of Minor – Cranberry Eagle

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

A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh has indicted Dr. Ashok Panigrahy on charges of possessing and transporting material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday, Sept. 4. Both incidents occurred in November 2022, the indictment said.

These crimes are punishable by a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and/or a fine of up to $250,000.

A UPMC spokesperson told the Butler Eagle that the organization suspended Panigrahy after police were notified of the investigation and subsequently fired him.

Until his research, Panigrahy was chief radiologist at UPMC Children’s Hospital and vice chair of clinical and translational imaging research at UPMC. He was also a professor of radiology.

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

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