Pediatric Cancer Doctor Gets 7 Years For Child Porn

GALVESTON, Texas (AP) - A former pediatric oncologist at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center who earlier this year pleaded guilty to child pornography charges has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison.

U.S. District Judge George Hanks Jr. on Monday also ordered 50-year-old Dennis Patrick Meehan Hughes of Pearland to register as a sex offender, placed him on probation for 10 years once the sentence is completed and imposed restrictions on his access to children and the internet.

Hughes was arrested in June 2015 when authorities served a warrant on his home and seized his computers. Prosecutors said child pornography also was found on his work computer. In all, authorities discovered 329 videos and 2,693 unique images attributable to Hughes.

He remains free on bond pending his prison assignment.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.