Dr Bruce Hensel, 71 (left in 2012, right in 2017), has been arrested in California after he allegedly requested sexually suggestive photos from a nine-year-old girl

An award-winning TV medical correspondent has been arrested for allegedly requesting 'sexually suggestive' images from a nine-year-old girl.

Dr Bruce Hensel, who worked for KNBC for almost three decades, was arrested in Santa Monica, California, around 10am Wednesday.

Police say they began investigating the 71-year-old after he swapped 'inappropriate' messages and pictures with the girl, who is the daughter of an acquaintance.

Detectives allege that Hensel then requested 'sexually suggestive' photos of the girl on or about August 4 this year.

Investigators served a search warrant on his home in Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, on October 16.

Neighbours told CBS that they saw officers taking away computers during the raid.

A woman who spoke to CBS without giving her name said that, despite the raid, Hensel continued with his daily routine.

'I saw him just last weekend, he was totally fine,' she said.

Dr Hensel, who worked as an on-air medical correspondent for nearly three decades (pictured), is accused of swapping 'inappropriate' messages with the girl, who is the daughter of an acquaintance, before requesting the pictures

Police swooped on Hensel Wednesday while he was on Santa Monica Boulevard, and he was booked into the LAPD's Metropolitan Detention Center.

He was later released on $5,000 bail, with lawyer Steve Sitkoff telling Fox News that he is 'completely innocent of the charge'.

'We are cooperating with the authorities and look forward to a speedy and complete exoneration,' Sitkoff added.

Hensel is charged with one felony count of contact with a minor for sexual purposes. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 18 months in jail.

According to information posted online, Hensel joined NBC4 in June 1987 and wrote multiple investigative stories for them.

Police carried out a raid on Hensel's Santa Monica home (pictured) last month and seized computers, before arresting him on Santa Monica Boulevard on Wednesday

Hensel won several awards and was the co-host of the series 'Health Fax' in 1988.

He left KNBC in 2016, according to his LinkedIn profile, and since then has been working on a range of other programmes.

His last listed job was as co-director and executive producer on Beyond The Opposite Sex, which aired on Showtime in March 2018.

He also served as co-director of two emergency rooms in southern California - Century City Hospital and San Dimas Community Hospital.