Ex-NBC doctor gets no jail time after asking girl, 9, for nude photos
Ex-NBC doctor gets no jail time after asking girl, 9, for nude photos
By: LA Times
March 6, 2023
An ex-medical correspondent for an NBC affiliate station based in Los Angeles received no jail time after he pleaded no contest to asking a 9-year-old girl to send him “sexy and private” nude photos, according to a report.
Dr. Bruce Hensel, 74, apologized to the young victim’s family and even hugged her father — who is an acquaintance — as he entered his plea in an LA courtroom on Monday, the Los Angeles Times reported.
“I’m terribly sorry for what happened. I’ve done everything I can to understand this isolated thing,” he said when pleading no contest to one count of contacting a minor with the intent to commit a crime.
The ex-TV doctor for KNBC claimed he’d never done anything like this before and vowed to never do it again while speaking about his faith in God, according to the report.
Dr. Bruce Hensel received no jail time for allegedly asking a 9-year-old girl for nude photos.John Sciulli
Hensel received two years of probation and must register as a sex offender as part of his sentence, the newspaper said.
The Emmy-winner was arrested in 2019 after he asked the girl for the sexually explicit photos through an online messaging app.
At the time, he worked as the on-air chief medical correspondent for the NBC station in LA, as well as for one in New York.
Hensel, who joined NBC in 1984, was also a practicing doctor, board-certified in internal and emergency medicine.
He texted the child numerous times between March and August in 2019, according to records submitted to the state Medical Board.
A transcript of text messages submitted last year showed Hensel requested photos from the girl that were “sexy and private,” the LA Times reported.
The victim’s father forgave Hensel – and embraced him — in court after learning he underwent treatment since his arrest, but earlier in the hearing had admonished the creep’s behavior, according to the report.
“Dr. Bruce, you crossed the line and violated the vow of your profession, which is to cause no harm,” the man said, according to the LA Times.
Hensel knew the victim through her mother, and the pair talked about financing a movie in which the 9-year-old would star, the newspaper reported.
A spokesperson for NBC told the outlet last year Hensel was a former employee, but refused to say if he resigned or was fired.
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