Doctor arrested for child-porn ordered to keep away from kids

The arrest of a longtime pediatrician on charges of child pornography has put Broward parents in a panic — worried about whether the doctor snapped pictures of their kids.

Since news of Dr. Michael Mizrachy’s arrest broke Tuesday night, parents have flooded the Broward Sheriff ’s Office with calls, anxious to know if the pediatrician photographed their children. Investigators say at this point they have no reason to believe the doctor took pictures of kids at the doctor’s office, but instead obtained such photos through the internet, or said they were pictures of children he was acquainted

with outside the workplace.

The Sheriff ’s Office still is trying to sort out the identity of the photographed children.

When sheriff ’s detectives realized their suspect was a pediatrician, their concerns multiplied, said Andrea Tianga, who oversees the department handling the investigation. “Obviously, this person had access to children. We were definitely on top of this case,” Tianga said. “We take this seriously.”

Mizrachy was arrested Tuesday on three child pornography charges. Tianga said at this point, there is no indication that the doctor did any unlawful hands-on activity with children. As they investigated Mizrachy, detectives said they unearthed a child-pornography video, as well as photos of children in their bathing suits, underwear or shorts, in which the children seemed unaware they were photographed, the agency said.

Tianga said these images didn’t appear to be random shots of children. Rather, the person taking the photographs zoomed in on specific body parts. Mizrachy also used an app to communicate with a 15-year-old girl, and explicit photos were shared, the Sheriff ’s Office said.

A judge on Wednesday ordered Mizrachy to stay away from all minors, but allowed him to have supervised visitation with his two children, one who is under the age of 18.

In October, acting on a tip, agents with a search warrant zeroed in on Mizrachy, first going to his Parkland home and searching his things and simultaneously going to his workplace, West Broward Pediatrics, where he had worked for many years, to notify them that Mizrachy was under investigation.

To date, Mizrachy’s office has not been searched, Tianga said. Mizrachy, 49, is no longer employed by the practice in Plantation.

“We are shocked and deeply disturbed by these accusations,” West Broward Pediatrics said in a statement Wednesday. “Dr. Mizrachy’s employment was terminated last year and he is no longer associated with our practice. We have no evidence that any crimes were committed in the course of his professional duties.”

Three parents contacted the South Florida Sun Sentinel, saying that the pediatrics office hadn’t contacted them. One mom said the office told her that Mizrachy was taking personal time off. Another mom told the Sun Sentinel she kept being told Mizrachy was on vacation. That woman says she has known Mizrahi for 20 years. She described him as an outstanding doctor, one who people would wait hours to see without complaint because he was just that good and likable.

All three woman asked that their names not be used, given the sensitive nature of the case. The pediatrics office said late Wednesday it acted swiftly.

After the practice was notified of the investigation, it terminated Dr. Mizrachy’s employment, the office said. “Patient families were told of his departure and notified in writing that he was no longer with the practice within a few days. The practice’s policy was and still is not to share information publicly about individual employment details.

“Since Dr. Mizrachy’s termination through to his arrest, practice administrators have been proactive in communicating with parents who have raised questions and continue to address any concerns.”

Mizrachy appeared before Judge Corey Amanda Cawthon on Wednesday and his bail was set at $30,000. As a condition of his release from jail, Mizrachy surrendered his passport.

Tianga is encouraging parents who believe they may have witnessed inappropriate behavior at the doctor’s office or elsewhere to come forward.

The Sheriff ’s Office asks anyone with information regarding this case to call Detective Erica Rockey at 954-888-1570. Those wishing to remain anonymous should contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493TIPS (8477) or online at browardcrimestoppers.org.

Mizrachy