Boston pediatric anesthesiologist faces child pornography charges

BOSTON - A pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist at Boston's Children's Hospital has been arrested on charges of possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material, federal prosecutors said.

Dr. Christopher Sheerer, 35, made an initial appearance in court Friday and was detained pending a hearing Tuesday, the U.S. attorney's office said in a news release.

The charges follow a search of his home and phone. He is alleged to have knowingly distributed and possessed videos between July 1 and July 18.

A phone number for the anesthesiologist could not be found. An email seeking comment from his attorney was left Saturday.

Boston Children's Hospital said in statement that it had terminated Sheerer's employment following his arrest.

"When Boston Children's Hospital learned today of new fellow Dr. Christopher Sheerer's arrest, we immediately terminated their employment. Our patients' and their families' safety and well-being remain our utmost priority," the hospital said in the statement.

The anesthesiologist had started a fellowship at the hospital on July 1 and had previously worked at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, according to a police affidavit filed in court.

A federal investigation began in Baltimore in May into a member of a group on an encrypted messaging app that required users to upload nude imagery of children. The anesthesiologist was identified as that user, the affidavit said. Sheerer allegedly uploaded imagery of a child known to him to gain admission to that group.