Child porn conviction could lead to ex-doctor’s deportation
A former doctor has been stripped of his license and could be deported as a result of his child pornography conviction in DuPage County.
Judge George Bakalis on Monday sentenced former internist Hugo Alvarez, 47, of Willow Springs, to two years of probation and 60 days of jail work release. Alvarez also must register as a sex offender.
The Peru native was charged in November 2011 after he dropped off personal computer equipment for service at a Westmont repair shop. The shop found thousands of images of child pornography and called police, Assistant State’s Attorney Diane Michalak said.
Before his arrest, Alvarez was a prominent internist practicing at several Chicago-area hospitals, according to his attorney. The state took away his medical license last January, citing “an immediate danger to the public.”
In court Monday, defense attorney Tim Martin said Alvarez received “extensive” treatment since his arrest and was considered a “very low risk” for committing another offense. He said Alvarez, who had been working in the U.S. on a green card, has hired an immigration attorney in the hopes of remaining here despite his felony conviction.
“He’s lost a lot — his citizenship, his marriage, his medical license,” Martin said. “With treatment, he hopes to resolve this issue.”
Alvarez was licensed to practice medicine in Illinois in 1995 and was never previously disciplined or criminally charged. He told investigators he started watching child pornography in 1996 and could “spend hours each day” searching for that and other extreme pornography online, state records show.
As a result of his conviction, Alvarez is barred from having unsupervised contact with minors. He reports to jail Jan. 14.