Child porn doctor Adrian Catterall abandons career
A DOCTOR convicted of downloading sickening child porn said he had given up on his medical career.
Dr Adrian Catterall, from Litlington, was suspended and narrowly escaped a jail sentence in 2003 for downloading 130 images of children, including photos of youngsters being tortured and having sex with adults.
He was allowed to practise again by the General Medical Council a year later as long as he did not treat anyone aged under 16, but he has not worked since 2006, when the conditions were found to be unworkable.
Catterall, 49, has had his suspension extended every year and yesterday was asked to give the watchdog testimonies to his good character, proof of up-to-date clinical knowledge, and a psychological report.
But he did not attend the hearing, and instead emailed the GMC to say he felt the case was "going round in circles" - and that he could not afford a psychological assessment.
He then asked for his suspension to continue indefinitely rather than have his registration erased, which he described as "brutal and final".
The GMC is yet to decide how to respond to this request but Catterall told the News he was ending his career for the sake of his family.
In an email to the News, he said: "I have decided not to pursue my medical career any further. The repeated GMC hearings and constant media attention have taken their toll.
"I have to protect my wife, family, friends and most importantly my children from the constant adverse media attention which has led to bullying of my children at school."
He added: "I deeply regret my actions and now wish to pursue a more private life."
The gastroenterologist was given a three-year community rehabilitation order and was placed on the sex offenders' register for five years after admitting 16 counts of making an indecent photograph of a child, while he worked at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage in 1999.
In his letter to the News he also said: "The majority of images were of level one, the least severe kind."
Judge Gareth Hawksworth, at Cambridge Crown Court, acknowledged that Dr Catterall's motives were not paedophilic in origin and sentenced him to a community rehabilitation order and placed him on the sex offenders' register until last year.
The pervert doctor saved his foul cache of images - three of which were the most serious kind, level five, and 11 of which were level four - in a folder marked: "Golf ".
The GMC panel will decide today whether to indefinitely suspend Catterall.
Cambridge News