Paul Sturch, 41, a prostate cancer specialist, pleaded guilty to downloading indecent images of girls as young as four between September and October 2023. Police raided his London home after he chatted online with an undercover officer, catching him trying to destroy a memory stick containing the images.

Sturch’s lawyer blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for his actions, citing burnout and depression from working on the medical frontlines. “He was working to exhaustion to save lives,” the defence said, adding the offenses were online-only and didn’t involve physical contact.

The judge sentenced him to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months. Sturch must undergo 30 days of rehabilitation, is under probation supervision, and will remain on the sex offenders register for seven years. A Sexual Harm Prevention Order also restricts his internet use.

Sturch, once a consultant at King’s College Hospital, hasn’t returned to work. His future as a surgeon now rests with the General Medical Council, which will decide if he can continue practicing medicine.