Kermit Gosnell, a Philadelphia physician who gained his reputation performing abortions, and was found guilty on Monday of murdering three babies born alive, lately becoming a national flashpoint for the U.S. debate on abortion.

The children were killed while he was performing illegal late-term abortions.  Gosnell, aged 72, delivered the babies alive and then snipped their spinal cords with a pair of scissors.

Gosnell was also found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of a female a female patient. She died of a drug overdose.   

News reports said that prosecutors were seeking the death penalty, which is opposed by the Catholic Church as well as  many Christian and human rights groups.

In Pennsylvania, abortion is not legal on or after the 24th week of conception. The physician was found guilty of aborting 21 unborn children whose development exceeded that amount of time.

U.S. Congressman Diane Black (R-TN) said in a statement after the verdict, "Gosnell's horrific crimes stand as a stark reminder that there is no such thing as a safe abortion. While Gosnell's actions were especially egregious, we should remember that this is what happens each time an abortion is performed—a beating heart is stopped and an innocent human life is ended."

 Gosnell was found guilty of 237 crimes in all. Most of them violated Pennsylvania's informed consent laws. 

Informed consent is an ethical concept which means that all patients understand and agree to the potential consequences of their care. 

Gosnell was charged with 263 crimes in January, 2011.  He was charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of four babies. 

In addition, Gosnell was charged with third degree murder in the death of Karnamaya Mongar, 41.  

In 2009 he gave Mongar a deadly dose of anesthesia and pain killers at his West Philadelphia clinic during an abortion.

The facility has been labeled a "House of Horrors" by the media, those covering Gosnell's trial.  

Still part of the debate on his case centered on earlier criticism of the mainstream media for  ignoring the story unfurl.  

Newbusters, a project of the watchdog Media Research Center, noted Monday that ABC News reported on Gosnell's conviction, the first time it has mentioned the trial in 56 days. 

Newsbusters said that ABC reporter Terry Moran noted that "opponents of legalized abortion seized on this case".

 Moran, however, ignored it after he posted highlights of the Gosnell trial on April 12.

Moran quoted vice-president of Americans United for Life, Jeaneanne Maxon, who said that "Gosnell's not an aberration".

"Abortion clinics are unregulated and every year we see the deaths of women inside these clinics," she said.

Kate Pickert and Adam Sorensen commented in Time U.S. online, "Philadelphia news outlets did an exemplary job of covering the Gosnell trial, but the national media did not.

"Two years after outlets like the Associated Press and the New York Times covered Gosnell's arrest and a judge issued a preliminary gag order on his trial, few representatives from the mainstream media showed up to cover the testimony in early 2013.

World News Net Daily has a partial list of discoveries made inside Gosnell's clinic. They included:

* Rusty and filthy abortion equipment;

* Medical records which appeared to have blood and other stains on them;

* Expired medications, including anesthetics;

* Photographs of dead babies.

It said many of the discoveries are too gruesome to print.