Doc Sent Nude Photo To Underage Patients In Morris County: Police

KINNELON, NJ — A New Jersey physical therapist is accused of sending nude photos to three underage female patients in Morris County, the Kinnelon Police Department said Friday.

Dr. Ariel Castro, 29, a licensed doctor of physical therapy living in Bogota, is accused of using Snapchat to send a photo of his genitals to three teenage patients, Kinnelon DSgt. David Crouthamel said. He was arrested Thursday.

The photo showed Castro "without a shirt and he had the front of his pants partially pulled down showing his genitals," Crouthamel said. Castro allegedly sent photos of himself shirtless and in underwear to the girls over the past several months. The girls, all former patients, were 15- and 16-years-old.

Castro is charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child and three counts of lewdness. He was taken to the Morris County jail.

Castro was employed by TwinBoro Physical Therapy, a chain of physical therapy offices in New Jersey, Alan Marcus, a corporate spokesperson for the chain, told Patch. He has been suspended without pay after working at the Butler location for five years; Marcus did not know if Castro had worked at any of the other locations in the state.

"It appears to be a random act by a rogue employee," Marcus said, calling the incident "isolated." Castro violated company policy against communicating with patients outside of the office, Marcus said.

Castro had not received any complaints prior to his arrest, Marcus said, and had passed a "rigorous licensing process."

TwinBoro operates physical therapy offices in 23 towns in New Jersey, including one in Kinnelon.

His physical therapy license is currently still active, according to the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. It was issued in August 2013, and is set to expire on Jan. 31, 2018. Patch has reached out to the Division of Consumer Affairs for more information.

"The important message to parents and juveniles is that the juveniles recognized the pictures were inappropriate and reported it," Crouthamel said. "Parents should take the time to discuss the dangers of social media and the importance of reporting any suspicious or inappropriate pictures and/or content."

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