WEST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Remodeling of a basement uncovered 50,000 slides and 100 8-mm films of naked children in West Hartford on Wednesday.
The owner of the home, located in the 100 block of Griswold Drive, discovered a hidden secret room in the basement.
Channel 3 Eyewitness News reporter Susan Raff reported the evidence points to a previous homeowner: a doctor who worked at St. Francis Hospital for more than 30 years.
The couple knocked down a wall as part of a remodeling project when they found thousands of slides and 8-mm films that depicted naked children.
West Hartford police are now trying to identify all of the victims and there could be dozens.
Doctor Subject Of Investigation In 1990s
"He was investigated by the Connecticut Medical Examining Board, and based on the allegations that were made there, we believe some of the children were local," West Hartford police Lt. Donald Melanson said.
Dr. George Reardon was formerly an endocrinologist specializing in childhood sexual development at St. Francis Hospital. In 1995, he agreed to give up his license to practice after numerous complaints that he abused and photographed children.
According to the state Department of Public Health, Reardon gave up his license because of the consistency and volume of complaints against him. He agreed to never to practice in Connecticut, and his record indicates he was also forbidden to practice in New York.
Reardon, who practiced medicine at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center for over 30 years, serving as Chief of Endocrinology, has since died. Police said they believe he was the one responsible for taking the photos and films.
At the time, Reardon vehemently denied being a pedophile, and said that he was merely examining the children for his practice.
Throughout the hearings, numerous references were made to photographs being taken during the alleged abuse, but the photos were not found at the time.
Attorney Susan Smith represented about 15 alleged victims. She said Reardon claimed he was performing a study, but there was never any published work or data.
"He approached everyone -- not just patients. Some of them were the siblings of patients.. One kid was in the hospital with a broken leg," Smith said.
Channel 3 Eyewitness News reporter Eric Parker reported that one point, the FBI wanted to talk to every child Reardon ever treated, but St. Francis resisted turning over records, citing patient privacy concerns.
A federal court eventually allowed the FBI to get the names, but it remains unclear how many of Reardon's patients talked to federal investigators.
The hospital released a statement that reads: "Our sympathies go out to any families who may have been victims of any inappropriate activity by Dr. George Reardon. At the time, Saint Francis fully cooperated with all federal and state authorities involved in this matter. Immediately following the state's suspension of Dr. Reardon's license in July, 1993, Saint Francis suspended his privileges to practice at our Hospital."
State investigators were barred from charging Reardon during an investigation in the early 1990s because of a five-year statute of limitations. It had expired on all 14 complaints that were filed, although they stretched four decades.
Police said they believe the photos might have been shared with others, and are working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to identify the victims in the images.
"We understand that this is an emotional issue for anyone who may have been exploited in these images," Melanson said. "Any information gathered will be kept in strictest confidence."
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Allegations Against Doctor Span Decades 
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