Duke researcher William Ebenstein was arrested Friday morning on charges of sexual exploitation of a minor.
Ebenstein is charged with seven accounts of second degree sexual exploitation of a minor and one account of third degree sexual exploitation of a minor. His bond is set at $600,000.
Ebenstein was a lecturing fellow for the Duke physics department until 2011 and was a member of the Atlas group, a physics department research group that aided in building the Transition Radiation Tracker. Ebenstein is also an associate in research for the psychology and neuroscience department.
Keith Lawrence, director of media relations, said Ebenstein is not a member of faculty and has been employed by Duke since 1991. He added that Ebenstein has been placed on leave while the charges are pending, which is the standard operating procedure.
Lawrence added that the University is cooperating fully with the investigation, and anything having to do with the case itself is being directed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Raleigh, N.C.
Shelley Lynch, public affairs specialist for the FBI division in Charlotte, released a statement regarding the investigation.
"The FBI, the Duke University Police Department, and other local law enforcement partners are engaged in an ongoing criminal investigation. No specific details can be released by the FBI at this time per Department of Justice policy," the statement read.
This story was updated 4:53 p.m. Friday.
Correction: A previous version of this article said William Ebenstein is a lecturing fellow for the Duke physics' department and a member of the Atlas group, however he no longer served the University in those capacities at the time the article was written. The Chronicle regrets the error.
Check back for updates as this story develops.
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