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Former Hospital Chaplain Michael Downs, 71, was sentenced to 60 years in prison on Thursday after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of children. The Fort Worth man who once served as a chaplain at Cook Children’s Hospital recorded himself sexually abusing a minor. According to plea papers, an investigation into Downs began in Jan. 2023 when a 17-year-old told her aunt she had been sexually abused by Downs and that he recorded it on an iPad. After being confronted by family, Downs grabbed an iPad and left the home, eventually jumping into Benbrook Lake to dispose of electronic devices. His wife later turned over several devices to the police which contained videos and photos of Downs engaging in sexual contact with the minor. The girl told investigators that Downs had been sexually abusing her from the age of 10 through 17. “Sadly, there was a lot of evidence in this case that made it quite clear that the defendant was guilty of these crimes,” said Alex Lewis with the Northern District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office. Downs worked at Cook Children’s Hospital from 1997 until 2022, and the hospital has stated that there is no evidence of any wrongdoing or inappropriate behavior with any patients. The hospital urged anyone who may be concerned that their child was a victim of abuse by Downs or anyone else to contact law enforcement. Lewis expressed relief that Downs will no longer be able to harm anyone, and the hospital released a statement expressing shock and deep sadness over the heinous crimes committed by Downs.

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