Local doctor arrested on child pornography charges

Staff report

NEWBERRY, Fla. – Chintan Vimalkumar Shah, 40, of Newberry, was arrested today on child pornography charges; he was previously a nephrologist at UF Health Shands Hospital and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Nephrology Department, but all content has been removed from UF’s pages that were previously associated with Shah.

On April 7, 2026, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office received a CyberTip regarding a Kik account that shared a video of a nude pre-pubescent female.

The IP address used to log in to the Kik account was associated with an AT&T account in Shah’s name, with a Newberry address; the address matched the address on Shah’s Florida driver’s license. The email linked to the Kik account is redacted in the arrest report, but when the email address is discussed, the detective notes that Shah’s position at UF is significant. The Kik account was also set up with Shah’s birthday.

There was also a Google account listed as an alternate email for the Kik account, and that address was associated with other accounts containing photos and other content that demonstrated Shah’s ownership of the accounts.

The detective reported that Shah had been “grooming” a female who is now 19 years old but was 17 years old when they first started communicating. The chats appear to be a form of “age play” in which the female pretended to be 10 years old; Shah and the female also reportedly discussed a video that Shah allegedly sent to the female, showing an adult male engaging in sexual activities with a female dressed as a child. In one chat, Shah and the female allegedly role-played the sexual battery of a 10-year-old child.

The detective reported that a search warrant was granted for a Dropbox account associated with the Google email, and the account contained over 100 photos that showed Shah with family and friends on various trips and vacations; there was also a document titled “Comprehensive Clinical Nephrology – 4thEdition2,” which the detective notes is important because of Shah’s position as a Nephrology professor. The account also reportedly contained presentations on Nephrology topics.

On July 7, a search warrant was executed on Shah’s home, and post Miranda, Shah reportedly provided one of the emails associated with the above accounts, along with the phone number associated with the accounts. He denied knowledge of the Kik account but became upset when that platform was mentioned, and a short time later, he asked to speak to an attorney, ending the interview.

The detective noted that he believes Shah is a significant flight risk because he was born in India and attended college in India; the photos in his Dropbox account also indicate that he likes to travel.

Shah has been charged with possession of child pornography, possession of child pornography with the intent to promote the material, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device. He has no local criminal history, and bail will be set tomorrow.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.