NEAR FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) – Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies have arrested a Parkland doctor for the second time after he allegedly sent explicit photos and messages to minors while portraying himself as a teenager on Snapchat.
Dr. Stewart Bitman of Parkland once again faces allegations of luring, seducing and enticing young children, as well as sending nude and graphic images, through social media.
“Mr. Bitman had online communication with hundreds of minors locally, across the world and across the country,” BSO spokesperson Miranda Grossman said. “He was communicating with them via a fictitious Snapchat account, where he would pretend he was a teenager speaking to them.”
Bitman was first arrested in January for allegedly sending explicit photos to a 13-year-old boy. The ongoing investigation led deputies to look further, and they found there were more recent victims between the ages of 12 and 14 years old.
According to detectives, from May 13 to May 30, Bitman was using Snapchat “while portraying a 17-year-old boy” and identified himself as “Matt, who attends a local high school.”
Over the course of their investigation, detectives said they obtained files linked to his Snapchat account “which contained chat conversations that Bitman had with hundreds of people who identified themselves as minor children.” Detectives said the conversations between him and the victims contained 1,729 messages.
“He would be contacting you through Snapchat under a different name, pretending he was younger and asking for explicit photos of you for videos and very sexually explicit messages,” Grossman said. “Mr. Bitman promised these minors that he would pay them money for these photos and videos and sexually explicit messages with them. He took advantage of these poor children, and detectives want to find out if there were more victims.”
7News knocked on Bitman’s door to ask for comment, but no one was home.
If you believe your child may have been a victim of Bitman’s, call BSO or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
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