Pediatric dentist with Framingham office pleads not guilty to child pornography charges

By Sarah N. Mattero, Globe Correspondent

A children’s dentist with an office in Framingham pleaded not guilty today to charges of possession and distribution of child pornography, Middlesex County prosecutors said.

Melvin A. Ehrlich (Middlesex DA)

Melvin A. Ehrlich, 52, was arraigned in Framingham District Court on three counts of possession of child pornography and two counts of distribution of child pornography, Middlesex District Attorney Gerard T. Leone’s office said.

Judge Robert Greco released Ehrlich on $10,000 cash bail on the condition that he not commit any new crimes and that he not use a computer except at a place of business for work-related purposes, prosecutors said.

Authorities said Ehrlich sent his laptop to a service provider to have a virus removed from the computer. The service provider found downloaded images of child pornography while working on the laptop and called Framingham police, Leone’s office said.

Investigators examining Ehrlich’s laptop concluded that he used various user names to download and distribute the images. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children confirmed the images to be commercially traded child pornography, prosecutors said.

“These are disturbing allegations where the defendant, who works with children of all ages on a daily basis, was downloading and distributing commercially-traded child pornography images,” Leone said in a statement.

Ehrlich, a Millis resident, operates the Wee Care for Kids dentistry practice in Framingham. Prosecutors said that while the case is still being investigated, law enforcement officials do not believe that Ehrlich created any child pornography images or abused any children.

Ehrlich will return to court on Feb. 11.

The Middlesex district attorney’s office asked that anyone with information related to the case call the office’s child abuse unit at 781-897-8400 or Framingham police at 508-872-1212.