greg salard

Greg Salard

Updated Friday, Oct. 17, 5:47 p.m.

A Wrangell doctor was arrested Wednesday following allegations of distribution and possession of child pornography.

Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation served a search warrant Wednesday at the home of Greg Salard at 3.5 mile Zimovia Highway, south of downtown Wrangell. Law enforcement officers arrested Salard while searching his house.

FBI Special Agent Anthony Peterson states in an affidavit that he obtained a search warrant for Salard’s residence after monitoring an IP address linked to Salard. Peterson alleges Salard was making child pornography available to others through a file-sharing network. Peterson also alleges he found a laptop in Salard’s home that contained images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Law enforcement officers transported Salard to Juneau.

Salard is being held at the Lemon Creek Correctional Center in Juneau awaiting a continuation of his detention hearing. Salard will appear in court Monday afternoon, where a federal judge will likely set bail.

Wrangell Attorney Michael Nash is representing Salard.

Nash said Salard has not been arraigned yet, which means he has not been formally charged. Nash said Salard will likely seek a different attorney after he is arraigned.

FBI investigators do not allege that Salard produced child pornography or sexually abused minors.

Salard is one of four medical providers in Wrangell. He is employed as a family doctor by Alaska Island Community Services and serves under a contract with Wrangell Medical Center.

In a statement, both organizations said Salard’s medical privileges “have been suspended pending further investigation.”

The Wrangell Medical Center Board of Directors prevented him from practicing at the hospital in 2011. Salard was reinstated at Wrangell Medical Center in 2013 following court action and controversy in the community.

The full Criminal Complaint from the U.S. District Court, District of Alaska, is linked here.