Description
A doctor who was caught by so-called paedophile hunters posing as a 14-year-old boy has been erased from the medical register.
Joshua Peake discussed sexual matters with the fictitious boy after meeting him online, and sent photos and videos.
The group then tracked down the doctor, who worked for a hospital in Derby.
When police searched his house they found indecent images of children on his laptops, along with images of people performing sex acts on animals.
A Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) panel has now determined that his fitness to practise is impaired because of his convictions.
"The tribunal is mindful that doctors occupy a position of privilege and trust," the determination of impairment said.
"The tribunal considered that a finding of impairment is required in this case on grounds of public protection, to promote and maintain confidence in the medical profession and to promote and to maintain proper professional standards and conduct for members of the profession."
Peake, who is 32, qualified as a doctor in 2014 at the University of Nottingham and worked at the Royal Derby Hospital.
The General Medical Council (GMC) said he was on their specialist register for trauma and orthopaedics.
He was caught by an activist group called TFN UK, which located him, detained him on 15 September 2019 and then called police.
Peake was arrested and later admitted possessing indecent images of children, possessing extreme pornographic images, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and attempting to cause a child to look at an image of sexual activity.
He was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on 9 September 2020, where he was given a three-year community order including 80 hours of unpaid work. A five-year sexual harm prevention order was also made.
An MPTS hearing was then held on 11 August, in which the GMC submitted that his fitness to practise was impaired.
Peake was absent from the hearing.
David Birrell, on behalf of the GMC, submitted that his behaviour could not be regarded as an "isolated" incident because there were 13 indecent images of children and another 26 extreme pornographic images depicting sexual activity with animals.
He also reminded the tribunal that Peake's conversations with "Luke", the fictitious 14-year-old boy, went on for about a month.