Toronto Doctor Arrested for Child Abuse Material, Hospital Investigation Ongoing

A doctor at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children has been arrested and charged in a police investigation involving child sexual abuse and exploitation material, prompting the hospital to place him on immediate leave while emphasizing that investigators have found no evidence connecting the material to his medical practice.

Toronto police arrested Dr. Dilan Dissanayake and charged him with possessing and accessing child sexual abuse and exploitation material. SickKids, as the hospital is widely known, said it acted after becoming aware of the investigation and has not been notified of any risk to patients and families.

Investigation Began In January

The police investigation began in January after investigators identified an electronic device used to download child sexual abuse and exploitation material.

As part of the case, investigators executed search warrants at SickKids and at a private residence. Police have not closed the file. The investigation remains ongoing, and Toronto police are asking anyone with information to come forward.

The charges land in an especially sensitive setting: a hospital dedicated to the care of children. But both police and the hospital have drawn a clear line around what investigators say they have found so far.

No Evidence Linked To Practice

Toronto police have said investigators have found no evidence that the child sexual abuse and exploitation material is connected to Dissanayake’s work as a physician.

“At this time, investigators have found no evidence that the child sexual abuse and exploitation material is connected to his practice as a physician,” police said in a news release quoted in source reporting.

That point has become central to the hospital’s response. SickKids has also said it has not been notified of any risk to patients and families.

The distinction does not lessen the seriousness of the charges, but it is a key fact for families trying to understand what the investigation does, and does not, currently allege.

SickKids Expresses Dismay

SickKids said it was “deeply upset and dismayed by this news” and said it condemns “the behaviour alleged in the police investigation.”

The hospital also said the “safety and well-being” of patients, families and staff remain its highest priority. According to SickKids, Dissanayake was placed on immediate leave once the hospital became aware of the investigation.

For a children’s hospital, those reassurances are not incidental. The institution’s statement directly acknowledged the concern the case may cause, while pointing to the current findings from investigators and the absence of any notification of risk to patients and families.

Police Seek More Information

Toronto police say the investigation remains active. Anyone with information is being asked to contact police.

For now, the confirmed facts are limited but serious: a SickKids doctor has been arrested and charged with possessing and accessing child sexual abuse and exploitation material; the investigation began after police identified an electronic device used to download such material; search warrants were executed at the hospital and at a private residence; and investigators say they have found no evidence linking the material to Dissanayake’s medical practice.

SickKids has put Dissanayake on leave and says safety remains its highest priority. Police are continuing their work, and the hospital has said it has not been notified of any risk to patients and families.

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