ST. LOUIS, MO – United States District Judge John A. Ross sentenced Dr. Ashu Joshi to 96 months in prison for distribution of child pornography. The 48-year-old St. Louis resident pleaded guilty in September.
Dr. Joshi was 46 years old when he began a relationship with a 16-year-old Kentucky girl who Dr. Joshi met through her mother, a former patient of the doctor’s in Kentucky. The doctor and victim had sex and took pornographic pictures, exchanging photos over Facebook messenger.
In October 2018, a St. Louis County Police Officer received four cyber-tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding Dr. Joshi. The tips were first directed to the Bowling Green, Kentucky Police Department, which then asked St. Louis County Police for help after investigators learned Dr. Joshi lived in St. Louis County. Investigators learned from the tips that between August and September 2018, a Facebook account linked to Doctor Joshi uploaded and sent several pictures containing child pornography. The investigators then gathered and developed evidence which led to the charges against Dr. Joshi.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, St. Louis County Police Department and the Regional Computer Crimes Education and Enforcement Group investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Colleen Lang and Investigator Donya Jackson handled the case for the United States Attorney’s Office.