TW: This story contains references to sexual misconduct and assault that may be troubling to some readers.
Stanford pediatrician Dylan O’Connor was arrested Tuesday for allegedly sending harmful material and attempted lewd acts with a minor.
O’Connor, a Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital pediatrician and clinical instructor, was placed on administrative leave by the School of Medicine after he was arrested by Redwood City Police, according to an official comment from Stanford Medicine.
His arrest occurred after police officers posed as an underage girl and O’Connor sent them explicit photos, which included pornographic material, according to an alert from Redwood City Police. Police said they received a search warrant for his house and seized his electronic devices, both for this case and to identify other potential victims in the ongoing investigation.
This is not the first time Stanford medical faculty have been accused of sexual harassment or violence. Former cardiology professor and Veterans Affairs hospital cardiology chief John Giacomini was indicted by federal authorities in May on a charge of abusive sexual conduct that had taken place at the VA hospital, according to a Justice Department press release. And former Medical Center professor Jose Montoya was fired in June 2019 for sexual harassment and sexual misconduct, according to former members of the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Initiative, which Montoya led.
Redwood City Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. O’Connor could not be reached. Stanford Medicine spokesperson Julie Greicius declined to give further information on O’Connor.
“Upon learning of Dr. O’Connor’s arrest, Stanford immediately placed him on unpaid administrative leave and relieved him of all duties,” she wrote. “These are serious criminal charges, which we understand are still under investigation by law enforcement, so we are unable to comment further at this time.”
O’Connor completed his pediatric residency at Stanford in 2019 according to his Stanford Medicine profile before it was removed. Previously, he attended Columbia College of Physicians, where he was class president. He also served a two-year term in the PeaceCorps, from 2007 to 2009, where he taught high school level science and math at Muyuni Secondary School in Tanzania.
Stanford MedPulse, the weekly newsletter for the medical school, did not mention this incident in its Wednesday edition.
Contact Victoria Hsieh at vhsieh02 ‘at’ stanford.edu.