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| Children’s doctor jailed for abusing young patients | Children’s doctor jailed for abusing young patients |
| (5 months later) | |
| Mark Tran and agencies | |
| Mon 1 Dec 2014 12.11 GMT | |
| First published on Mon 1 Dec 2014 11.06 GMT | |
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| A paediatrician who carried out examinations “purely for his own sexual gratification” and abused boys behind a curtain while their parents were in the room, has been jailed for 22 years. | A paediatrician who carried out examinations “purely for his own sexual gratification” and abused boys behind a curtain while their parents were in the room, has been jailed for 22 years. |
| Myles Bradbury, 41, from Herringswell, Suffolk, who worked as a haematologist at Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge, had pleaded guilty to 25 offences against boys aged 10 to 16, including sexual assault, voyeurism and possessing more than 16,000 indecent images. | Myles Bradbury, 41, from Herringswell, Suffolk, who worked as a haematologist at Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge, had pleaded guilty to 25 offences against boys aged 10 to 16, including sexual assault, voyeurism and possessing more than 16,000 indecent images. |
| Sentencing Bradbury, Judge Gareth Hawkesworth told Cambridge crown court on Monday that the prison tariff was less severe owing to the early guilty pleas, though “some might observe” the overwhelming evidence against him meant he had little choice but to admit the offences. | Sentencing Bradbury, Judge Gareth Hawkesworth told Cambridge crown court on Monday that the prison tariff was less severe owing to the early guilty pleas, though “some might observe” the overwhelming evidence against him meant he had little choice but to admit the offences. |
| “For a doctor to attack children in this way is one of the worst forms of sexual abuse imaginable,” the judge said. “These boys were all vulnerable and gravely ill. In all my years on the bench, I have never come across such a grotesque betrayal of your Hippocratic oath.” | “For a doctor to attack children in this way is one of the worst forms of sexual abuse imaginable,” the judge said. “These boys were all vulnerable and gravely ill. In all my years on the bench, I have never come across such a grotesque betrayal of your Hippocratic oath.” |
| The court heard how Bradbury encouraged several young patients to see him alone through the trust he had acquired. “It was in these circumstance under the guise of legitimate examinations he went entirely beyond the bounds,” said John Farmer, prosecuting. “He took the opportunity of fondling the boy’s genitals and encouraging them to masturbate in his presence and obtain erections for his own personal gratification. On some occasions, when he failed to exclude the parent, he simply carried on behind the curtain behind which the boy had gone to remove his clothes.”,. | The court heard how Bradbury encouraged several young patients to see him alone through the trust he had acquired. “It was in these circumstance under the guise of legitimate examinations he went entirely beyond the bounds,” said John Farmer, prosecuting. “He took the opportunity of fondling the boy’s genitals and encouraging them to masturbate in his presence and obtain erections for his own personal gratification. On some occasions, when he failed to exclude the parent, he simply carried on behind the curtain behind which the boy had gone to remove his clothes.”,. |
| His 18 victims included children with haemophilia, leukaemia and other serious illnesses. The offences took place over four and a half years, beginning within six months of his appointment in 2008 and continuing to the day he was suspended when concerns were first raised. At some point, he began using a camera pen in an attempt to take pictures of the boys when partially clothed, Farmer said. Police found 170,425 images on this pen but none of these was classed as indecent. | His 18 victims included children with haemophilia, leukaemia and other serious illnesses. The offences took place over four and a half years, beginning within six months of his appointment in 2008 and continuing to the day he was suspended when concerns were first raised. At some point, he began using a camera pen in an attempt to take pictures of the boys when partially clothed, Farmer said. Police found 170,425 images on this pen but none of these was classed as indecent. |
| Bradbury was first arrested in December 2013 after police were alerted by Canadian authorities that he had bought a DVD containing indecent images of children as part of Operation Spade, an extensive sting operation. At the time, Cambridgeshire police were investigating Bradbury as concerns were raised about his conduct after a boy spoke to his parents about what had happened. Bradbury was suspended by the NHS a month earlier. | Bradbury was first arrested in December 2013 after police were alerted by Canadian authorities that he had bought a DVD containing indecent images of children as part of Operation Spade, an extensive sting operation. At the time, Cambridgeshire police were investigating Bradbury as concerns were raised about his conduct after a boy spoke to his parents about what had happened. Bradbury was suspended by the NHS a month earlier. |
| Detective superintendent Gary Ridgway, from Cambridgeshire Police, said his team is working with police forces and several agencies from other parts of the country to see if his abuse dates back further. | Detective superintendent Gary Ridgway, from Cambridgeshire Police, said his team is working with police forces and several agencies from other parts of the country to see if his abuse dates back further. |
| He added that since Bradbury’s crimes were reported a “small number” of other possible victims had come forward and these files have recently been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service. | He added that since Bradbury’s crimes were reported a “small number” of other possible victims had come forward and these files have recently been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service. |
| Encouraging victims to contact police, Ridgway said: “It would be naive to assume that we know the full scale of what he did. | Encouraging victims to contact police, Ridgway said: “It would be naive to assume that we know the full scale of what he did. |
| Bradbury, who was also involved in church and Scout groups, was described as “a man of great charm and persuasiveness” whom everybody trusted. When one victim raised concerns with his mother, she responded: “He’s a doctor, it must be necessary.” | Bradbury, who was also involved in church and Scout groups, was described as “a man of great charm and persuasiveness” whom everybody trusted. When one victim raised concerns with his mother, she responded: “He’s a doctor, it must be necessary.” |
| One victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said in a statement read to the court: “I am now anxious to go to the doctor because I don’t know who I should trust. I have haemophilia and a pain in my side so I know I should go but I feel disgusted and weird. I didn’t think it would happen to me and I feel angry every time I think about it but also relieved it wasn’t just me but we shouldn’t have to go through it.” | One victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said in a statement read to the court: “I am now anxious to go to the doctor because I don’t know who I should trust. I have haemophilia and a pain in my side so I know I should go but I feel disgusted and weird. I didn’t think it would happen to me and I feel angry every time I think about it but also relieved it wasn’t just me but we shouldn’t have to go through it.” |
| Dr Keith McNeil, chief executive of Cambridge University hospitals, said: “Our thoughts today are with our patients and families who were victims of Bradbury’s shocking and cynical abuse. Today’s sentencing of Bradbury cannot undo the damage he caused but he is finally behind bars and is no longer a risk to vulnerable children. The lengthy sentence shows Bradbury’s abhorrent betrayal and manipulation of his position as a doctor has been fully recognised.” | Dr Keith McNeil, chief executive of Cambridge University hospitals, said: “Our thoughts today are with our patients and families who were victims of Bradbury’s shocking and cynical abuse. Today’s sentencing of Bradbury cannot undo the damage he caused but he is finally behind bars and is no longer a risk to vulnerable children. The lengthy sentence shows Bradbury’s abhorrent betrayal and manipulation of his position as a doctor has been fully recognised.” |
| Michelle Brown, head of the Crown Prosecution Service East of England’s rape and serious sexual offences unit, said: “This paedophile doctor took advantage of his young patients battling serious illness by systematically sexually abusing them. Such cruelty is unimaginable to most of us. The extent of that abuse and the number of victims – 18 – was a gross breach of the trust placed in Myles Bradbury and one of the worst cases of this kind that we have prosecuted.” | Michelle Brown, head of the Crown Prosecution Service East of England’s rape and serious sexual offences unit, said: “This paedophile doctor took advantage of his young patients battling serious illness by systematically sexually abusing them. Such cruelty is unimaginable to most of us. The extent of that abuse and the number of victims – 18 – was a gross breach of the trust placed in Myles Bradbury and one of the worst cases of this kind that we have prosecuted.” |
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