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Children's Hospital Doctor Arrested On Child Porn Charges

BOSTON (CBS) – A pediatric endocrinologist at Boston Children's Hospital, who is also a pediatrics instructor at Harvard Medical School, was arrested Thursday on child pornography charges.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Dr. Richard Keller, 56, of Andover, "knowingly received films depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct."

Read: The Criminal Complaint (.pdf)

In a statement Thursday afternoon, federal prosecutors said Keller "purchased and ordered over 50 DVDs of child pornography online. At this time, more than 500 photographs and between 60 - 100 DVDs have been recovered during an ongoing search of Dr. Keller's home today."

Justice Department investigators claim that the child pornography ordered and purchased were addressed and delivered to Richard Keller on the grounds of Phillips Academy.

Dr. Keller was the Medical Director at student health services at the prestigious prep school for 19 years, until he resigned last year.

"I think it's an abomination. It should get checked to make sure nothing like that happens again," said junior Sean Maloney.

In a statement, the school's administration says it is cooperating with the investigation.

"Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274, and messages will be promptly returned," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Keller will be arraigned at U.S. District Court in South Boston on Monday.

If he is convicted on all charges, prosecutors said Keller faces "a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison, to be followed by up to lifetime supervised release and a $250,000 fine."

Children's Hospital spokesman Rob Graham released this statement:

"Providing safe and appropriate care in a safe and protective environment is the absolute paramount priority for Boston Children's Hospital. When the hospital learned of the allegations against Dr. Richard Keller earlier today, he was immediately put on administrative leave pending results of the investigation by the US Attorney's Office. We will cooperate fully with the US Attorney's Office and all other involved regulatory and legal authorities.

"No complaints or concerns have been expressed by any patients or family members about the care Dr. Keller provided while he was at Children's."

Neighbors say authorities were seen hauling away boxes from his Andover home on Thursday, and Keller was taken away in handcuffs.

"It's unsettling, if I look at that house it will always come to my mind," said neighbor Mary Carbone.

Neighbors say they thought they knew a different person who lived on the quiet street, not the man authorities say spent nearly three thousand dollars purchasing the graphic material on-line.

"It's a sickness. Something has to be wrong with the mental capacity of the person doing this," said Carbone.

WBZ-TV's Beth Germano & Bill Shields contributed to this report.

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