WHITEHALL, Pa. — A Lehigh Valley pediatrician has been charged in New Jersey with having sexual text conversations with a minor.
- Dr. Moshe Markowitz of Allentown has been charged after alleged sexual messages with a female minor in Washington Township, Warren County, New Jersey
- Markowitz is a former pediatrician at Lehigh Valley Health Network's LVPG Pediatrics-Whitehall, and was terminated immediately after being charged
- If convicted, the suspect faces a maximum five-year sentence in New Jersey State Prison and would be obligated to register as a sex offender in the state.
Dr. Moshe Markowitz of Allentown, formerly of Lehigh Valley Health Network's LVPG Pediatrics-Whitehall at 3691 Crescent Court, was charged March 14.
He faces a count of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child for engaging in sexual conduct which would debauch the morals of a child, in Washington Township, Warren County, New Jersey.
In a release, the Warren County Office of the Prosecutor states that an investigation opened in early January after a Warren Hills Regional High School student reported that a friend was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a 47-year-old man.
The teen reported that the friend met the man on the app Omegle, which connects strangers for text and, at times, video calls.
Prosecutors said the investigation found Markowitz, under the alias Steven Jones, engaged in sexually explicit conversations with a girl on the chat and calling app Discord.
Devices seized, license suspended
A search warrant issued at Markowitz' Allentown home resulted in electronic devices being seized. On them, "graphic and sexually charged" conversations were discovered, authorities said.
If convicted, the suspect faces a maximum five-year sentence in New Jersey State Prison and would be obligated to register as a sex offender in the state.
Markowitz' Pennsylvania Medical License now is suspended.
“Lehigh Valley Health Network took immediate action and this individual is no longer employed by LVHN.”Brian Downs, public spokesman for LVHN
“Lehigh Valley Health Network took immediate action and this individual is no longer employed by LVHN,” Brian Downs, public spokesman for LVHN, said in a statement.
Downs stated that Markowitz's final day with the company was March 14, the same day that charges were filed following the search.
“We will assist authorities during their review,” Downs said. “Due to the ongoing investigation, LVHN is not able to offer further comment.”
Markowitz has been in practice for over 20 years with a specialty in pediatrics, and is a graduate of Stony Brook University School of Medicine, according to U.S. News & World Report.
