A 40-year-old UF Health physician and University of Florida assistant professor was arrested on July 8, 2026, in Alachua County, Florida, on charges related to child sexual abuse material, according to local reports and statements attributed to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities identified the physician as Dr. Chintan Vimalkumar Shah, a Newberry resident. Shah is a nephrologist, or kidney specialist, who worked at UF Health Shands Hospital. WCJB reported that Shah faced charges of possession and transmission of child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, and use of a communication device in a felony.

The allegations have not been proven in court.

The investigation began in early April after authorities received a cyber tip about a social media user allegedly sharing a video containing child sexual abuse material.

Investigators connected the account to Shah and executed search warrants. According to WCJB, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office said investigators developed probable cause to believe Shah possessed CSAM and had engaged in illicit online conversations with minors through social media, including discussions involving the viewing of such material.

More detailed allegations about how investigators linked the online activity to Shah appear in an arrest report described by Alachua Chronicle. According to that report, as cited by the publication, the sheriff’s office received a CyberTip on April 7, 2026, concerning a Kik account that had allegedly shared a video depicting a nude young girl.

The Alachua Chronicle reported that investigators traced an IP address associated with the account to an AT&T account registered in Shah’s name at a Newberry address. According to the arrest report, the address matched information on Shah’s Florida driver’s licence, while the Kik account had reportedly been created using his date of birth.

It was reported that investigators later examined a Dropbox account associated with the Google email address after obtaining a search warrant. The cloud account allegedly contained more than 100 personal photographs of Shah with family and friends during trips and vacations.

Investigators also reportedly found nephrology-related material in the account, including a medical text and presentations on nephrology topics. According to the arrest-report account, a detective cited these materials as part of the evidence allegedly connecting Shah, a physician associated with kidney care, to the account.

According to the arrest reports, investigators reviewed communications with a female who was 19 at the time of the investigation but had allegedly begun communicating with Shah when she was 17. The report described alleged “age play” conversations in which the female purportedly pretended to be 10 years old.

The arrest-report account also described discussions involving sexualised role-play and material depicting an adult with a person presented as a child. 

Shah allegedly provided an email address and phone number associated with accounts under investigation but denied knowing about the Kik account. He later requested an attorney.

The Alachua Chronicle also reported that a detective described Shah as a potential flight risk, citing his birth and education in India and photographs indicating frequent travel.

Following the arrest, the University of Florida placed Shah on administrative leave and barred him from university property effective July 8.

UF Health said in a statement reported by WCJB:

After his July 8 arrest, Shah was booked into the Alachua County Jail.

The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation remained active and that additional charges could follow.

(Rh/ARC)