A metro Atlanta pediatric dentist has pleaded guilty to possessing thousands of images and videos of minors being sexually abused, federal officials announced Thursday.
Paul Kim, 31, was convicted of possessing the media, some of which showed children younger than 12 years old “engaging in sexually explicit activity,” the U.S. Department of Justice said.
“Kim possessed materials depicting the sexual exploitation of minors at the same time that parents were entrusting their children to his pediatric care,” U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said in a statement.
The FBI began investigating Kim after he was implicated in a broader probe into a commercial sexual exploitation ring, which advertised and sold the sexually explicit images of children on several online platforms, the justice department said.
In December 2023, federal agents executed a search warrant at Kim’s home in Sandy Springs, seizing about 30 electronic devices, prosecutors said. About 1,948 images and 798 videos depicting child sexual exploitation were found on those devices, authorities said.
“Every time child exploitation imagery is shared, it re-victimizes innocent and vulnerable children,” Keri Farley, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta said in a statement. “Our office is focused on using all the resources needed for the very important work of protecting children in Georgia and beyond.”
Kim pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on Aug. 23 and is scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 21.
“This plea demonstrates that no person is above the law,” Farley said. “Regardless of employment, wealth or social status, the FBI will continue to seek out all individuals who seek to abuse children and victimize them through the downloading and possession of child pornography.”
