Were Children at Phoenix Children’s Hospital Exposed to Staff Who Possessed Child Sexual Abuse Material?
Phoenix Children’s Hospital is one of the largest pediatric healthcare systems in the United States, serving children across Arizona from its main campus in Phoenix. The hospital operates a behavioral health unit whose patients include children with complex psychiatric and medical needs. Two separate individuals connected to the hospital — one employed directly by Phoenix Children’s and the other employed by a contracted third-party vendor — have been accused of possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in separate incidents in 2024 and 2025.
A behavioral health technician and a food service worker at Phoenix Children’s Hospital have each been accused of child sexual exploitation in separate incidents in 2024 and 2025.
Allegations Involving Phoenix Children’s Hospital Workers
In July 2025, Jaydeep Patel, a behavioral health technician at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, was arrested on nine counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Online tips indicated Patel allegedly possessed child sexual abuse material. Investigators found more than 1,200 sexually explicit photos and videos. Court documents state that Patel used multiple identities to request explicit content of children and made graphic statements in online chats, including describing himself as a pedophile.
In 2024, in a separate incident, Zackarie Parker Allbritton, a food service worker employed by a third-party vendor contracted by Phoenix Children’s — was arrested on 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alerted authorities after an instant messaging app flagged CSAM being distributed from one of its accounts, which was linked to Allbritton. Investigators found approximately 40 files of CSAM on his account.