FBI Arrests Smyth County Doctor on Child Exploitation Charges

ABINGDON, Va. - A 68-year-old doctor, who worked at Smyth County Community Hospital and allegedly had a sexual relationship with an underage female coworker that included exchanging explicit imagines with the victim, was arrested yesterday by the FBI.

Michael Kevin Patrick, of Sugar Grove, Va., was arrested yesterday and charged via federal criminal complaint with receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). He made his initial court appearance today in U.S. District Court in Roanoke.

According to court documents, Juvenile Victim 1 (JV1) began working at Smyth County Community Hospital in December 2023, when she was 16 years old. Shortly after starting her job, JV1 met Patrick in an elevator. JV1 told Patrick she was 17 years old, in high school, and interested in the medical field. The two began talking regularly at work.

In late 2024, JV1 and Patrick started eating lunch together and communicating regularly via text messages and phone calls. Eventually, Patrick and JV1 engaged in sexual conversations with one another and exchanged nude pictures of themselves via text message.

In addition, Patrick started having a physical relationship with JV1 at his home and at work. During that span of time, JV1 was 16 years old. Patrick told JV1 that he was "looking forward to" her birthday, that the relationship had to be "secret," and that he "needed" her. After JV1 turned 17, and after Patrick believed JV1 had turned 18, Patrick had sexual intercourse with JV1.

Patrick and JV1 exchanged more than 19,000 text messages with one another. After Patrick's activities were discovered, he deleted his text messages with JV1.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Marion Police Department.

Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Richmond Division made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit Pierce is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.