Dr. Greg Ramey, a well-known child psychologist and a former long-time Dayton Children’s Hospital employee, is charged with 145 criminal counts related to child pornography, according to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, whose office is special prosecutor on the case.
Ramey, 70, of Beavercreek, turned himself in to the Greene County Jail on Thursday morning, according to the AG’s office, according the Journal-News.
“This egregious abuse of the patients’ trust, not to mention the public’s trust, from a doctor is gut-wrenchingly horrible,” said Attorney General Dave Yost in a written statement. “Young children are innocent, sweet and trusting – vulnerably fragile and in need of special protection.”
Dayton Children’s Hospital, where Ramey worked from 1979 until his termination Aug. 16, 2019, cooperated with investigators, the AG’s office said.
An indictment filed in Greene County Common Pleas Court charges Ramey with 145 felony counts:
— Illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material, a second-degree felony, counts 1-90;
— Pandering obscenity involving a minor, a fourth-degree felony, counts 91-117;
— Attempted pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, a fifth-degree felony, counts 118-142;
— Tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony, counts 143-145.
An indictment is an accusation that prosecutors must prove in court.
Ramey was identified as the source of electronic downloads of child pornography and Ramey’s activity was reported to the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, according to the AG’s office.
Ramey had served as executive director for pediatric mental health resources at Dayton Children’s.
The complaint was handled by the Ohio Attorney General’s office after Greene County Prosecutor Stephen Haller referred a complaint involving Ramey to the AG due to a conflict-of-interest issue. Haller’s office works closely with Dayton Children’s and Michael’s House, a Fairborn-based nonprofit that provides treatment and works as a liaison for children who may be crime victims. Haller’s office calendar shows Haller has regular meetings with an executive steering committee for Michael’s House.
Beavercreek police visited Ramey’s home July 31 but the police report didn’t disclose the reason. Greene County property records indicate Ramey owns a $305,550 home on Freedom Pointe.
Ramey started at Dayton Children’s in 1979. The well-known pediatric psychologist was one of the public faces of Dayton Children’s, writing a weekly parenting column in the Dayton Daily News that was distributed on the New York Times wire service, and making frequent appearances in local and outside media.
He holds a doctoral degree in psychology from University of Massachusetts Amherst, according to his LinkedIn page. State records show he has held a psychologist license in Ohio since Dec. 6, 1980. His license is still active, according to the state license website, and no board action has been taken on it.
