Accused doctor dies in jail

Pennsburg pediatrician was charged with possessing child porn

LOWER PROVIDENCE » A Pennsburg pediatrician accused of possessing child pornography died over the weekend at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Lower Providence where he was being held on high bail pending his initial court hearing.

Dr. David Shawn Kennedy, 48, was pronounced dead at the jail at about 3:30 a.m. Dec. 18, according to Lorie Slass, county director of communications. As is customary, Slass said, the county detectives are handling the investigation.

It’s routine for county detectives to investigate all deaths that occur at the jail.

Julio M. Algarin, warden at the county jail, also referred all questions to the district attorney’s office.

Kate Delano, spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office, would only confirm Kennedy’s death and that detectives are investigating. County officials had no further comment at this time.

An official from the county coroner’s office said an autopsy on Kennedy was completed on Sunday. First Deputy Coroner Alexander Balacki said officials are awaiting the results of toxicology tests before issuing an official cause and manner of death for Kennedy.

“We’re working closely with the district attorney’s office,” Balacki said, adding it can take between three and five weeks for toxicology tests to be completed.

Officials have not revealed under what circumstances Kennedy’s death was discovered at the jail.

Kennedy, who was the owner and supervising physician at Personal Care Pe-

atrics in the 900 block of Main Street in Pennsburg, was charged Nov. 28 with possessing child pornography and criminal use of a communication facility after detectives alleged they found explicit child pornographic images on a cellphone belonging to his practice. Kennedy was taken to the county jail, unable to post $250,000

cash bail, at that time.

Kennedy was in jail awaiting his Jan. 31 preliminary hearing before District Court Judge Catherine Hummel-Fried of Red Hill.

An investigation of Kennedy, who resided in the 100 block of West Second Street, began after county detectives were notified by a nurse practitioner who reported that she discovered what she believed to be sexually explicit images of children on a cellphone owned by the practice, according to prosecutors.

The investigation by county detectives and police from Upper Perkiomen revealed that the nurse practitioner had been given a new cellphone by the office to handle afterhours calls for the office over Thanksgiving. While using the phone, she discovered sexually graphic photos of children and other images, detectives alleged.

The investigation determined that the phone belonged to Kennedy, according to the district attorney’s office.

During an interview by detectives, Kennedy admitted in a statement that he visited websites containing sexually explicit images of children under the age of 18 based on a “curiosity” he had, according to the criminal complaint. Kennedy also allegedly stated that he would view and save the images to his cellphone account.

Authorities alleged the images on Kennedy’s cellphone depicted children under 18 engaged in prohibited sexual acts or in sexual poses.