Home of anti-trans doctor charged over child sex abuse material burns down

The house of an anti-trans medical professional arrested for possession of child porn has burned to the ground.

Dr Ryan McDonough, 46, was arrested last week and charged with ten counts of possession of child sexual abuse material.

After he was released on bail over the weekend, the Wasilla cardiologist’s home went up in flames.

Alaska State Troopers responded to reports of a fire at 6:50pm on Saturday (13 December).

Local outlets said officers discovered human remains in the home on West Discovery Loop, which was “fully engulfed with flames.” While other residents living in the home were safe, Dr McDonough was unaccounted for.

The medical professional briefly worked with the Alaska State Medical Board earlier this year and had voted in favour of a policy effectively banning gender-affirming care for trans young people, according to Erin in the Morning.

A spokesperson from the Alaska governor Mike Dunleavy’s office told ABC Dr McDonough had resigned from his position in November.

“The administration found out last week about the charges and was never aware of any criminal investigation against him,” the spokesperson said.

Dr McDonough was fired from his position as an interventional cardiaologist with Mat-Su Medical Group and Mat-Su Regional following his arrest.

After his appointment to the Medical Board in August, Dr McDonough’s absence from subsequent board meetings for over two months caused a blockade of new policies, including several anti-trans measures.

One of the few actions he voted on was a policy that would fine medical professionals who administer life-saving gender-affirming care for trans under-18s.

Ryan McDonough claims ‘no knowledge’ of child sex abuse material

Dr McDonough pleaded not guilty to charges of possessing material depicting child sexual abuse during an appearance in court on Friday.

The Ancorage Police Department began investigating him in July under “Task Force Dawnbreaker”.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children forwarded a tip to the Police, according to Anchorage Daily News, suggesting child sexual abuse material had been uploaded to a Dropbox account associated with Dr McDonough.

Police obtained a search warrant and found numerous folders on his Google and Dropbox accounts containing the material which featured young boys, girls, and even infants.

Dr McDonough claimed “no knowledge” of the material, but consented to a search of his device, according to an unsealed affidavit.