SAN DIEGO — A former San Diego doctor who was caught watching child porn at work will have his license reinstated.
The news of the reinstatement became available this week, in documents provided by the California Medical Board.
Former psychiatrist Mark Zweifach went in front of the board three weeks ago for a hearing on reinstating his license. A video of the hearing recently became available to the public.
For the first time on-camera, Zweifach describes his own shocking acts that still haunt him.
LONGFORM: Former San Diego Kaiser doctor caught watching child porn at work tries to get his license back
“Eleven years ago, on three occasions, I briefly viewed child pornography at my workplace,” he said.
It was more than a decade ago that the admitted sex addict turned in his white coat, but the District Attorney's office didn't have enough evidence to bring criminal charges.
California Medical Board paperwork reveals that the alarming discovery was made at a Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in El Cajon. Some of the paperwork reads, "While at work, on his Kaiser-issued computer, [he] viewed inappropriate images, including child pornography."
“I didn't collect it. I didn't produce it. I didn't distribute it, but I viewed it,” he told the board during his recent hearing.
Since then, Zweifach’s become an active part of the San Diego community, according to his online resumes. A 2014 La Jolla Light website article about a local puppet guild shows a photo of Zweifach as a puppeteer operating a large, red puppet.
As of late July, he was listed as a board member of the San Diego Puppetry Guild’s website. The day after the guild was contacted by reporters, his name was removed.
Documents outline his road to rehabilitation, like a 12-step “Sexaholics Anonymous” program and “regular therapy.”
During his recent hearing, he describes having confronted whatever happened to him as a kid that apparently made him vulnerable to addiction.
“I did have a history of being exposed to childhood sexual experiences that profoundly affected me,” he explains.
Zweifach also told the board that he’s had two relapses with viewing adult pornography, but it stopped there.
“I thank God that in the last eleven years, I’ve been entirely free of viewing the underage images that led to the loss of my license,” he adds.
Zweifach has expressed a great deal of remorse for his actions.
His license will officially be reinstated on Sept. 14.
Zweifach will be on five years of probation which includes a number of stipulations, including not treating minors. He must also undergo continued psychotherapy.
