Covington orthodontist facing pornography charge
The investigation of Marc Joondeph, 58, of Kent, began when a patient told her parents Joondeph had used instant messaging to chat with her inappropriately.
Joondeph still holds a state dental license, though prosecutors think he has not been practicing since his arrest in the spring.
According to charging papers filed in King County Superior Court, Joondeph chatted online with four girls, ages 11 to 16, on several occasions.
In their chats, he called the girls pet names and asked one to have "cyber sex" with him, among other inappropriate topics. Though it's typical to use a made-up screen name when chatting online, Joondeph revealed his true identity to the girls, court documents state.
"Over the past several years, (Joondeph) has reached out over the Internet and sought sexual contact with a multitude of children," prosecutor Roger Rogoff wrote in court filings.
Staff members at Joondeph's office later told King County sheriff's deputies that he often was chatting online and even rushed through his appointments in order to get back on the computer.
"They've seen Joondeph typing text messages constantly throughout the day," the court documents state.
Officers executed search warrants at his work and home and seized some computers. On them, they found numerous images of child pornography, according to charging documents.
He faces a prison term of up to five years if convicted. An arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 30.
Maureen O'Hagan: 206-464-2562