Ex-Cedars-Sinai Researcher Sentenced For Possession Of Child Porn

SANTA MONICA, CA — The one-time scientific director of artificial intelligence medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center pleaded no contest Monday to felony possession of child pornography and was sentenced to five years probation.

Guido Germano, 59, of Santa Monica, was also ordered to register as a lifetime sex offender, attend at least 52 weeks of sex offender counseling, and forfeit electronic devices containing any child pornography images, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Germano, who was arrested June 19 and released on bond, was also sentenced to time served of one day in jail.

Prosecutors said Germano distributed child porn videos using peer-to- peer software and downloaded the material onto his personal computer at home.

He was placed on administrative leave in July, when the hospital learned about the charges.

An earlier posting on the hospital's website said Germano is "widely recognized as an expert in the field of cardiovascular nuclear medicine." The site credited Germano with the "creation of new artificial intelligence techniques to accurately determine the location of the heart from 3-D tomographic images, estimate epicardial and endocardial boundaries and quantify heart volumes in a completely automated fashion."

The researcher is no longer listed on the website as part of the team studying artificial intelligence medicine, and an update on his employment status was not immediately available.

City News Service