Florida doctor accused of sending nude photos to 13-year-old

A South Florida doctor is accused of sending nude photos of himself to a 13-year-old, authorities said.

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Stewart Bitman, 64, of Parkland, was arrested Tuesday and charged with three counts of transmission of material harmful to a minor and one count of solicitation of a minor, according to Broward County Sheriff’s Office online booking records. Bitman was being held in the Broward County Jail pending a bond hearing, according to online records.

Bitman, a gastroenterologist, is affiliated with many hospitals in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

A SWAT team conducted a search at Bitman’s home on Tuesday morning, the newspaper reported. Bitman was taken into custody, and authorities seized multiple electronic devices.

Bitman’s arrest was the result of a joint investigation between the sheriff’s office’s Internet Crimes Against Children detectives and the Coral Springs Police Department, the Miami Herald reported.

According to a news release from the sheriff’s office, deputies received information in April that Bitman “sent a number of sexual text messages and nude photos of himself to a 13-year-old child.”

“Detectives believe Bitman knew he was communicating with a minor, and while attempting to solicit victims, he portrayed himself as a teenage boy,” the news release stated.

The child’s gender is not specified in a search warrant that was obtained by the Sun-Sentinel.

According to the warrant, photos show Bitman sitting at a desk with a computer. His drawstring shorts and underwear are pulled down. Accompanying the photos are texts about classwork: “How many classes r u having each day,” “What class is that?” and “Looks like a real pain. How many pages?”

In one text, Bitman allegedly asked the child if he or she wanted to see him urinate, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

Bitman has an office in Coral Springs, the Herald reported. Bitman belongs to the medical group Gastro Health, according to its website.

Bitman’s medical license with the state shows he has had no disciplinary actions, the newspaper reported.

Cox Media Group