- Thousands of images and videos on over 60 devices were seized from properties linked to 32-year-old Dr. Bradford David Ferrick, federal prosecutors claims
By CLAUDIA AORAHA, SENIOR REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 16:03 EDT, 15 March 2023 | UPDATED: 16:47 EDT, 15 March 2023
A trainee family doctor concealed a huge trove of child porn – and secretly recorded himself examining children using a camera hidden in a bracelet, police say.
Dr Bradford David Ferrick, 32, appeared at a Boston federal court on Tuesday and was ordered held without bail over the disturbing allegations.
Raids at his apartment in Amherst and at his parents’ $1.1 million Winchester mansion are said to have turned up thousands of child porn images held on 60 electronic devices.
Ferrick is also accused of secretly recording medical examinations on children as young as six using a piece of jewelry that concealed a camera lens.
During one recording obtained by police, he was heard discussing a young male patient’s genitals with the boy’s mom, although they cannot be seen in the clip, it’s alleged.
Since July, Ferrick had been completing a medical residency focused on family medicine with Baystate Franklin Family Medicine – which included rotations at facilities in Greenfield, Deerfield, and Springfield.
The child porn investigation started in January, when a Google account was flagged for uploading suspected illicit images of minors by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The investigation into Ferrick was kickstarted after an IP address linked to his family home and where he studied medicine was flagged for allegedly uploading explicit child content
More cyber tips then allegedly showed the illegal material being uploaded at an IP address linked to his family home. During the first search of the mansion on February 13 2023, Ferrick refused to speak with law enforcement officers.
Cops then seized 61 electronic devices – and as they were arresting the trainee doctor, Ferrick’s father told investigators that the devices belonged to him.
Ferrick’s workplace put him on unpaid administrative leave in February, after the allegations first came to light.
He was first charged with four state counts of child pornography possession – to which he pleaded not guilty – and then paid $50,000 cash bail and was released, with orders to remain at home.
But now, Ferrick has made an appearance at US District Court in Boston charged with a sole federal count of child porn possession. Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal ordered him to be held in custody until his next hearing on March 21.
In one clip, Ferrick is heard speaking with a boy, believed to be 14, and his mother as they discussed the teen’s genitals. The FBI said that the meetings were allegedly recorded on his bracelet, which was disguising a hidden camera.
During the federal investigation, authorities also searched a third property, owned by relatives of Ferrick – who have two young children.
Ferrick’s workplace put him on unpaid administrative leave in February, after the allegations first came to light
They found a hidden camera in a bathroom, which was concealed to look like a wall outlet. Authorities claim they found the box that the camera came in at Ferrick’s parents’ house, where the trainee doctor lived.
According to the affidavit, which has now led to his detainment pending another hearing in March, Ferrick had purchased ‘numerous hidden camera devices.’
Inside the seized external hard drives, cell phones, computers, and hidden cameras from the properties linked to Ferrick, authorities allege that they have found ‘thousands of images and videos’ showing child pornography.
Federal authorities have set up a page for people who believe their children may have been targeted by Ferrick. Chalonda James, a spokesperson for Baystate Health, said in a statement: ‘We cannot comment on pending criminal charges.
‘Ferrick has been on unpaid administrative leave from Baystate Franklin Medical Center since mid-February.
‘We are cooperating with law enforcement authorities as they proceed with their investigation.’