Ex-NBC correspondent Dr Bruce Hensel arrested for asking friend's nine-year-old daughter for 'sexually suggestive' photos
An Emmy-award-winning TV medical correspondent has been arrested for allegedly requesting "sexually suggestive" images from a nine-year-old girl, according to reports. Dr Bruce Hensel, who worked as a medical correspondent for KNBC for nearly three decades, was arrested in Santa Monica, California, on Wednesday at around 10am.
Authorities began probing the 71-year-old after he exchanged "inappropriate" messages and pictures with the little girl who is the daughter of his acquaintance. According to detectives, Hensel requested "sexually suggestive" photos of the girl on August 4 this year. A search warrant was served on his home in Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, on October 16.
Neighbors, while speaking to CBS, said they saw police officers raiding his house and taking away computers. A woman told the outlet that Hensel continued with his daily routine despite the raid. "I saw him just last weekend, he was totally fine," she reportedly wanted to remain anonymous.
Authorities arrested Hensel on Wednesday while he was on Santa Monica Boulevard, and he was booked into the LAPD's Metropolitan Detention Center. He was reportedly released on a $5,000 bail.
Hensel's lawyer, Steve Sitkoff, told Fox News that his client his "completely innocent of the charge." He added: "We are cooperating with the authorities and look forward to a speedy and complete exoneration."
Reports state that Hensel is charged with one felony count of contact with a minor for sexual purposes. If convicted, the 71-year-old faces a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison.
Hensel, according to the information posted online, joined NBC4 in June 1987 and wrote multiple investigative stories for them. He won multiple awards and was the co-host of the series 'Health Fax' in 1988. According to his Linkedin profile, Hensel's last working job was as co-director and executive producer on Beyond The Opposite Sex, which aired on Showtime in March 2018.