Occupational therapist struck off after after having 1.7m indecent images of children.

Occupational Therapist Struck Off After Indecent Images Conviction

John Husband, a former occupational therapist, has been struck off the medical register after being found in possession of 1.7 million indecent images of children.

Husband, who had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images, possession of prohibited images of a child, and possessing extreme pornography in November 2021.

Police found the images on 43 different devices at his Newcastle address in June 2020. Of the 12 devices examined, eight contained category A images (the most serious), 11 category B, and 32,090 category C images.

Husband was sentenced to a 22-month jail term, suspended for two years, with a six-month curfew, a sexual harm prevention order, and a 10-year sex offender registration requirement.

The Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service (HCPTS) held a hearing in September 2023 to consider Husband's fitness to practice. The tribunal found that the seriousness of his offenses and the length of the sentence warranted striking him off the register.

The tribunal stated that Husband's submissions did not adequately acknowledge the impact of his behavior on others. They also noted that he had received safeguarding training during his occupational therapy training and subsequent practice, which would have alerted him to the consequences of his actions.

The panel agreed with Judge Stephen Earl's statement at Newcastle Crown Court that they were "not certain that there is any more remorse than the fact that you have been captured."

Husband did not attend the hearing, indicating via email that he would not be present and would not require legal representation. The tribunal did not consider whether Husband had a health condition impairing his fitness to practice, as they found his convictions alone sufficient grounds for striking him off.

The tribunal highlighted the vulnerability of individuals that occupational therapists come into contact with in their work. They determined that Husband's behavior was "very serious, particularly in view of the nature of the images involved, the number of the images involved and the fact that the behaviour continued for many years."

The tribunal concluded that there is a risk of Husband repeating his behavior, which would pose a risk of harm to patients if he were to return to practice as an occupational therapist.