Parents react to Merced pediatrician’s arrest

The arrest of a Golden Valley Health Centers pediatrician on suspicion of possession of child pornography and other charges has left many parents of his pediatric patients in shock.

Carlos Teran Miranda, 35, was arrested Tuesday morning on suspicion of placing a camera inside a unisex patient restroom at the 847 Childs Ave. pediatric clinic and possessing child pornography. Teran Miranda was booked into the Merced County Jail on Tuesday morning and released later that day after posting $25,000 bail.

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.

Teran Miranda was the pediatrician of Merced resident Rachel Hernandez’s three kids. Her young children had seen him for about a year. Because it is unknown how long the camera had been in the restroom, Hernandez is concerned her children might have been videotaped while using the restroom in the pediatric clinic.

“If all of this is true, he needs to be punished,” Hernandez said. “He saw our children undressed during physicals, now how do we know if he wasn’t doing it for his own enjoyment? It’s disgusting.”

The investigation began after a woman discovered the camera Friday afternoon. 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.

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.

According to Williams, authorities are still combing through all the evidence, most of which is in electronic form. He said it may take a couple of weeks before all evidence is inspected.

For parents who have interacted with Teran Miranda when taking their children in for a checkup, the news is hard to believe.

Victoria Vasquez, a Merced resident who had taken her infant son to Teran Miranda for a little more than a year, described the pediatrician as a “really nice doctor.”

“Just in December my son had a physical (exam) and I loved how he would treat my son,” Vasquez said.

According to her, she never noticed any red flags. “All of this – it’s just crazy,” she said. “You wouldn’t expect it from him.”

Vasquez is now trying to decide if she wants to continue with another pediatrician at Golden Valley Health Centers or seek services elsewhere.

Another Merced resident, Lakeisha Marshall, recommended Teran Miranda to her sister because he got patients in and out of the office quickly. “My sister recently switched my niece and nephew over to this pediatrician at my recommendation; now I feel bad,” Marshall said.

Marshall’s young niece and nephew were under Teran Miranda’s medical care for about two months, and visited the pediatrician for an appointment last month. Marshall, who occasionally takes her niece to doctor appointments, described Teran Miranda as a “down to earth” person.

“It’s sad that in the world we live in now we don’t know who to trust,” she added.

Teran Miranda was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, Golden Valley officials said Tuesday. 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 officials said Teran Miranda’s patients will temporarily be seen by the clinic’s other pediatricians, but whether patients will be permanently reassigned to new doctors is unknown at this point.

“We want (Teran Miranda’s) patients to know that we are not turning them away,” said Mary-Michal Rawling, Golden Valley Health Centers’ director of governmental affairs, on Wednesday. “We are still addressing their health needs.”

The California Medical Board is also looking into the case. A board spokeswoman said in cases such as this, the board works with law enforcement and launches its own investigation to determine whether the physician should be allowed to continue practicing.

According to California Department of Consumer Affairs online records, Teran Miranda graduated from the Greater University of San Simon in Bolivia in 2004. He had worked at Golden Valley Health Centers since 2013.

Efforts to reach Teran Miranda on Wednesday were unsuccessful. A woman who answered the door at his residence said the doctor was not home.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Merced Police Department Detectives Division at (209) 385-4702 or the automated tipline at (209) 385-4725.

This story was originally published February 4, 2015 at 8:03 PM with the headline "Parents react to Merced pediatrician’s arrest."