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Mark Hoeltzel, former Michigan Medicine doctor, was sentenced to 10 years in prison Thursday after he plead guilty to child exploitation charges in September, The Detroit News reported.
Hoeltzel worked as a pediatric rheumatologist at Michigan Medicine before losing his medical license last year after reports of misconduct in the workplace.
In 2017, officials recovered more than 300 images of child pornography from Hoeltzel’s home. He was arrested on the charge of online enticement of a minor after he allegedly created a Facebook account portraying himself as a teenage boy to communicate with young girls, conversations from which authorities drew pornographic images. His arrest took place upon return from six weeks of sex addiction treatment. He plead guilty in September before a U.S. District Judge.
Steve Francis, special agent from the Department of Homeland Security, led the investigation and emphasized the importance of the Department in predator investigations.
“The sentencing handed down in this case reflects the serious nature of the crimes committed, which are particularly troubling given the defendant’s role in the community as a physician,’” Francis told The Detroit News. “Mr. Hoeltzel abandoned his oath to “do no harm” and instead sought opportunities to harm and exploit innocent children. This case shows that HSI is committed to investigating child predators regardless of the positions they hold in society.”