Dr. Asked 14-Year-Old Girl For Nude Photos: Manatee County Sheriff

SARASOTA, FL — A local doctor faces charges after posing as a teenager and asking a 14-year-old girl for nude photos, according to a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office news release.

Pete Supan, 38, who practiced internal medicine in Sarasota, was charged Wednesday with soliciting a minor online for pornography, transmission of harmful materials and production of child sexual abuse material, the sheriff’s office said.

His arrest followed a joint investigation by the sheriff’s office, the FBI and the U.S. attorney’s office.

• Also Read: Doctor Accused Of Producing Child Porn That Led To Teen Death: DOJ

The MCSO Internet Crimes Against Children Unit received a cyber tip on Oct. 28 about suspicious chats on the social media platform Reddit.

The chat, between a suspect from the Bradenton area and a victim in Utah, included “conversation of a sexual nature,” investigators said.

During the chat, the suspect, later identified as Supan, portrayed himself as a 19-year-old man and asked a 14-year-old girl for nude images, the sheriff’s office said. He also talked about sex acts that he wanted to perform on the girl.

Detectives identified Supan and got a warrant for his Lakewood Ranch home. When interviewed, he admitted to chatting with the victim and soliciting explicit images from her. He also admitted to sending her explicit photos of himself.

Several devices were taken from his home for forensic investigation.

When detectives found the victim out of state, they learned that authorities in her area were already investigating the incident and had enough evidence to take the case to federal courts, MCSO said.

After being taken into custody in Sarasota, detectives brought Supan to the U.S. Marshals Service in Tampa.