KC Reporter

A pediatric physician from Overland Park, Kansas, has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to child pornography. Brian Michael Aalbers, aged 50 and a resident of Kansas City, Missouri, admitted to using hidden cameras to record 13 children over three years for the purpose of producing child pornography. He also confessed to possessing such material.

The guilty plea was entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts and includes 13 counts of attempting to produce child pornography along with one count of possession. Aalbers is currently held in federal custody without bond.

Concerns about potential victimization were raised with both the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office regarding patients at Aalbers’s practice. Investigations revealed no evidence that any current or former patients were affected. To protect the privacy of the victims involved, further details will not be disclosed.

Police began investigating on October 28, 2023, after concealed video cameras were discovered. A witness reported that Aalbers had sent suicidal text messages leading Lenexa police officers to locate him and transport him for mental health treatment. Two laptops, two iPads, and a cell phone found with Aalbers were taken into custody by hospital staff.

Search warrants executed on these devices uncovered more than 50,000 video files associated with the hidden cameras used by Aalbers. Over 1,000 videos contained pornographic depictions involving the identified victims.

Further investigation into Aalbers's iCloud account yielded an additional cache of images and videos totaling over a thousand files depicting child pornography produced by him.

The plea agreement between Aalbers and prosecutors recommends a prison sentence ranging from 20 to 30 years without parole. Sentencing will occur following a presentence investigation conducted by the United States Probation Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett is prosecuting this case which was investigated by multiple law enforcement agencies including the FBI and several local police departments in Kansas and Missouri.

This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood—an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation nationwide through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local resources.