$500K bond for suburban doctor facing child porn charges

Edward J. McMenamin | photo from DuPage County State’s Attorney’s office

(WHEATON) A west suburban doctor arrested at his home Thursday has been ordered held on a $500,000 bond on several child pornography charges.

Dr. Edward J. McMenamin, 67, faces five Class X felony counts of dissemination of child pornography, and 12 felony counts of possession of child pornography, according to a statement from the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s office.

McMenamin, of the 4200 block of Saratoga Avenue in Downers Grove, was arrested about 5:30 p.m. Thursday without incident after officers executed an arrest warrant at his home, prosecutors said.

Earlier this year, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alerted police about possible dissemination and possession of child pornography in Downers Grove, prosecutors said.

Investigators were led to McMenamin, who was in possession of numerous images and videos of child pornography, prosecutors said.

McMenamin, formerly of Chicago, practices family medicine at Downers Grove Family Practice, according to the clinic website. He did his residency at McNeal Memorial Hospital in Berwyn and joined the Downers Grove facility in 1981.

He was also chairman of the Department of Family Practice at Good Samaritan Hospital, according to the website.

“Child pornography is not a victimless crime,” State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said. “Any image or video depicting child pornography represents yet another young victim who had their innocence stolen from them just to satisfy the disgusting desires of sexual deviants.”

On Friday, Judge Elizabeth Sexton ordered McMenamin held on a $500,000 bond, prosecutors said. Conditions of the bond include no contact with children younger than 18, and no computer or Internet access. He is next scheduled to appear in court July 7.