Golden Valley Health Centers doctor accused of placing camera in patient restroom

A Golden Valley Health Centers pediatrician was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of placing a remote camera inside a unisex patient restroom and possessing child pornography.

Dr. Carlos Teran Miranda, 35, was arrested as he approached Golden Valley’s 847 Childs Ave. pediatric clinic, where he worked, the same location where authorities say the remote camera was found.

Merced police haven’t said if the hidden camera was directly related to the child pornography that authorities say was in Teran Miranda’s possession. Police also haven’t said whether patients were victims of child pornography, or whether the images came from the camera inside the bathroom.

The investigation began after a woman discovered the camera about 4 p.m. Friday. The woman told police she found a camera hidden inside a flower arrangement that was placed on the back of a toilet, according to a police press release.

The parent took the camera directly to the administration building and also notified police.

Police detectives determined that Teran Miranda was a suspect and two search warrants were obtained. Merced police detectives from the Investigations Division staked out Teran Miranda’s residence and the clinic and apprehended him Tuesday morning at the clinic.

A search warrant was served at his residence in Merced, where detectives seized enough evidence to arrest Teran Miranda on suspicion of possession of child pornography, Lt. Matthew Williams said. Most of the items seized were in electronic form, Williams added. “At this point, I can’t really talk about any of the evidence,” he said.

Teran Miranda has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, Golden Valley officials said.

Restrooms and patient areas at all Golden Valley facilities were inspected for photographic devices after the hidden camera was discovered, officials said, but no more were found. Golden Valley operates more than 20 nonprofit health centers that provide medical and dental care and behavioral health services to 100,000 patients in Merced and Stanislaus counties.

“Golden Valley appreciates the hard work of police investigators to identify and arrest a suspect,” Tony Weber, Golden Valley Health Centers CEO, said in the release. “We are saddened that the integrity of our hardworking staff has been called into question based on the alleged acts of one individual. We are committed to providing a safe and respectful environment for our patients, employees and the public as we carry out our mission of delivering quality health care.”

Teran Miranda was booked into the Merced County Jail. He posted bail and was released by Tuesday evening, according to booking records.

Teran Miranda, who has worked for Golden Valley Health Centers since 2013, also had privileges at Mercy Medical Center in Merced. According to a hospital spokesman, Teran Miranda had access to Golden Valley’s pediatric patients who were admitted to the hospital. But he has never worked at a Mercy Medical Center clinic, hospital officials confirmed.

While the website WebMD says Teran Miranda has an affiliation with Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, the hospital said he does not. WebMD likely listed a Doctors connection because Golden Valley doctors are often affiliated with the hospital, said Doctors’ director of business development, Carin Sarkis.

The California Medical Board is also aware of Teran Miranda’s arrest. Cassandra Hockenson, board spokeswoman, said the board will work with law enforcement and begin its own investigation to determine whether the physician should be allowed to continue practicing.

Hockenson explained that even if charges are dropped or Teran Miranda is found not guilty, the medical board still would continue its investigation.

“We would look at that very seriously,” Hockenson said. “If we feel that he is a danger to patients, we don’t want him practicing.”

According to Golden Valley, the health centers network runs background checks on all new employees. Providers’ backgrounds and credentials are checked even more rigorously through the National Practitioner Data Bank and the Office of the Inspector General.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Merced Police Department Detectives Division at (209) 385-4702 or the automated tipline at (209) 385-4725. Tips can be texted to TIP411 (847411), using “comvip” as the first word in the message.

This story was originally published February 3, 2015 at 12:44 PM with the headline "Golden Valley Health Centers doctor accused of placing camera in patient restroom."