MA Physician Accused Of Child Pornography Possession Involving Young Girls: U.S. Attorney​

BEDFORD, MA — A physician at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Bedford is facing child pornography charges after he was accused of saving "tens of thousands of pornography files" — including those of young girls — on his electronic devices, the U.S. Attorney's Office said on Wednesday.

Sven Knudsen Ljaamo, 70, of Billerica, was charged with one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography upon his arrest on Wednesday morning and appearance in Boston federal court.

He was ordered held pending his next hearing on Monday.

The Billerica, Lowell and Salem police departments assisted in the investigation.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said charging documents accused the physician of uploading more than 100 files of suspected Child Sexual Abuse Material via his Google account, and that he "admitted to viewing, downloading and saving pornographic material involving female minors."

Charging documents said a further review of the physician's devices, including a cell phone that he kept in his office at the VA Medical Center, had "tens of thousands of pornography files" on them.

Charges of receipt and possession of child pornography each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. The charge of receipt, specifically, provides for a sentence of at least five years in prison and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.