Pediatrician Charged in Patient Sex Abuse

(AP)  A pediatrician charged with sexually abusing his patients likely attacked more than 100 children at an office he had decked out with a merry-go-round and a ferris wheel, a state official said Wednesday.

The volume of evidence seized from Dr. Earl Bradley's practice and home, including videotapes and computer files, makes it difficult to estimate the number of victims, said Alexis Slutsky, a deputy attorney general assigned to the state's Child Predator Task Force.

"I'm comfortable in saying probably well over 100 potential victims," she said at a news conference with Attorney General Beau Biden and other law enforcement officials.

Slutsky said the investigation is focusing on cases between 1998 and the present.

Bradley, 56, was arrested last week and is being held on $2.9 million bond. He has been charged with 33 felony counts relating to seven victims. A preliminary hearing Wednesday was postponed until Jan. 14. His attorney, Eugene Maurer, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Stacy Cohee, a deputy attorney general, said Bradley was not brought to the courthouse for Wednesday's hearing because corrections officials are "concerned about his mental state right now," adding that there were concerns he is suicidal.

The case has shocked the close-knit community of Lewes, a town of about 3,100 on the Delaware coast. The case is even more chilling because some alleged victims are no more than 6 months old.

"It's horrific," said Wallace Hudson, vice-president of Beebe Medical Center just blocks from Bradley's home. Bradley had privileges at the hospital which were immediately suspended when he was arrested. Pennsylvania's state board of medicine also announced an immediate temporary suspension of Bradley's license there.

Police say Bradley used video cameras to record some of the attacks.

An 18-page document detailed the alleged attacks in exam rooms, which had Disney themes such as Pinocchio, at BayBees Pediatrics, Bradley's solo practice. A detective who viewed the assaults described in court papers the 6-foot, 225-pound Bradley as having a "violently enraged expression on his face" in one video involving a 2-year-old.

"As of this moment, we have not identified all of the victims in this case, and the investigation is ongoing in an aggressive fashion," Biden said.

Bradley's office was known for its many toys and the rides he had in front. On Wednesday, the deserted office looked more like a small run-down carnival than a pediatric office, including a small merry-go-round and Ferris wheel. A pink sign in front of one building read: "Princess Parking only. All Others will be toad."

Hudson said Bradley had been in the area since 1994. He said the hospital has arranged for counseling for patients and their parents. He also said doctors who already have full practices have arranged to take Bradley's patients, who he estimated "runs in the thousands."

Mike Duckworth, treasurer of the Bethel United Methodist Church near Bradley's home, said the charges have brought "a lot of shock" in the neighborhood and to the parents of children in the church's preschool program.

"There was a time when Dr. Bradley was the new and exciting pediatrician in town," Duckworth said.

Duckworth said his granddaughter had two appointments with Bradley, but his daughter decided to get a new doctor about four years ago after Bradley asked to see the girl alone.

"There was a point in the examination when he wanted to take my granddaughter away and my daughter wouldn't let him do that," Duckworth said.

Bradley also had medical licenses in Florida and New Jersey.

"We are looking into that at this time," Cohee said.

The alleged crimes cited in court papers happened between August and December. Police said they learned of the alleged abuse when a 2-year-old girl told her mother that the doctor had hurt her during a Dec. 7 appointment.

The News Journal of Wilmington on Tuesday cited a detective's sworn statement that said evaluation of seized video files and software has discovered 15 more unidentified victims.

[swm1972nj-2009]

Death penalty is the only punishment!

[mdbill-2009]

as a pediatrician in a small community in georgia, a parent, grandparent, and human being, i am totally outraged at this man. i cannot dream of a punishment fit enough for his crimes. God may be able to forgive him, but humanity never will. generally against the death penalty, in this case let me pull the lever....

[weewillywonka]

I have never heard of a small child not being accompanied by the parent in the examining room of a doctors office. I'm blown away. What possible justification could he have given for such a request?

[toldyouso21]

What possible idiocy on the parents' part would consent to such a request?

[jackp32]

I think some parents knew about this and said nothing to the authorities. Some kids would have told their parents about what happened to them in the doctor's office. Kids like to talk about their experiences but adults often ignore them or cover up what they know to be a threat to children. That's how many child molesters get away with it for a long peiod of time before they are caught. Parents just don't want to get involved. Let someone else worry about it or it just isn't my problem. A sad fact but true.

[CaliGirl666]

fairfaxjoe: So your answer to this problem is "find God". So what do you say about the abuse done by Catholic Priests?

[slownewsday___]

What, just because a person doesn't believe in fictional beings they must support Obama?

[kerry4ever]

The police shouldn't have let him be photographed in the same scrubs that he undoubtedly used for his perversions. And the community probably knew but were afraid to challenge a 'professional'.

[barbaram99]

I feel for the children..The man gets all that schooling to be a doctor and this is what he does,,It is wrong..Children are taught there are areas that nobody ever goes there..This is a problem today as it was when I was fostor child,..No boby wanted to believe it happens..I told my fostor father years ago yer sick..I was never comfortable in that home..he did abuse me as did his wife..People see what they want to see and have a hard time seeing the truth as it really is..They had to know that was abusing his patents..Had to..People like that are seem as pollers in the area where they live,well lived,attend the local church..They may have a dark side they hide from everyone and hope it is never found out..They do and everyone is shocked..I know what I went thru years ago..I was hurt by it..I grateful him never gave me a child but at the same time he crossed the line. It took 3 years to get out that home as they did not want to believe foster parents could abuse..Back then they did nothing..Their line of thinking was We don't go there..No child makes this up. There are signs of abuse..Lock the asre up for life and no cell mate...i am 55

[nbenn514]

I do not want to discount the horrific behavior of this physician, however, I am absolutely stunned that 100 people left their children alone with him. The minute he asked me to see my child alone would have been the minute I would have contacted the police.

[formrusmcsgt]

My thoughts as well.

I raised two sons and never left them alone with anyone except their grandparents when thy were small.

We know there are at least 100 brain-dead parents in Lewes, DE.

[bubbadubba]

Spam on boards direct people to malware attack sites.
Be warned.

[bubbadubba]

And another Limbaugh, Hannity, and Beck listener bites the dust.

[michellereducf]

What does that comment have to do with the article? That's right-NOTHING. Take your political poison to the correct forum.

[jackp32]

Like the man said: "liberalism is a mental disorder." Somebody call the guys in white coats to go to his house and haul him away.