Charges filed against Merced pediatrician accused of hiding camera in clinic bathroom

Criminal charges have been filed in Merced Superior Court against a pediatrician accused of planting a camera in a clinic restroom at a Golden Valley Health Center.

Dr. Carlos Teran Miranda, 35, of Merced has been charged with a felony count of possession of child pornography and a misdemeanor count of unauthorized invasion of privacy.

Merced County Deputy District Attorney Mike McKinney told the Sun-Star the charges were filed late Monday afternoon. Teran Miranda is scheduled to appear April 1 in Merced Superior Court for his arraignment hearing. However, McKinney said the arraignment date could be moved up. “That’s a month and a half away – we’d like to get him arraigned before April,” he said.

If convicted, Teran Miranda would have to register as a sex offender, McKinney explained. The maximum punishment for possession of child pornography is three years in state prison, he added.

McKinney also said the possibility of additional charges has not been ruled out as the investigation is ongoing.

The pediatrician was arrested the morning of Feb. 3 and was released later that day after posting $25,000 bail. He remains free and is on administrative leave at Golden Valley Health Centers.

The investigation began after police responded Jan. 30 to the 737 W. Childs Ave., Suite C, clinic in Merced to investigate a report of a hidden camera, discovered inside a floral arrangement placed on the back of a toilet.

Merced police were led to Teran Miranda after obtaining the camera that had allegedly been placed in the clinic bathroom. The camera’s memory card contained video footage that shows the pediatrician, identified by his name tag, setting up the camera in the restroom, according to search warrant affidavits obtained by the Merced Sun-Star. The camera’s memory card also contained video clips of a female adult and three children using the toilet.

Police served search warrants on Teran Miranda’s office and residence, and detectives took laptops, tablets, cameras and phones as evidence.

Teran Miranda had worked at Golden Valley Health Centers since 2013. He also had access to Mercy Medical Center when his patients were admitted to that hospital, according to Mercy officials.

This story was originally published February 10, 2015 at 3:53 PM with the headline "Charges filed against Merced pediatrician accused of hiding camera in clinic bathroom."