An NHS hospital worker, who was snared by a so-called paedophile hunter allegedly attempting to meet a ‘teenage girl’ for sex, has been struck off a healthcare register.
Joshua Foster worked at Southmead Hospital in Bristol as an operating department practitioner when he sent “sexually explicit” messages to the man posing as a 14-year-old girl before arranging to meet ‘her’ at Bath Spa railway station at just after 10am on 6 August 2017.
He was detained by the Wiltshire paedophile hunter at the scene; police officers arrived and he was arrested. He was later charged with an offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
In court, Foster pleaded not guilty to the charge and a trial was arranged. During the trial, the judge misdirected the jury and they were discharged. The Crown Prosecution Service decided against a retrial and a verdict of not guilty was entered by a judge.
The Health and Care Professionals Tribunal Service panel found that Foster did believe she was underage. He sent a message to the ‘girl’ stating: “If something were to happen I could end up in jail”. It was also heard he showed up with a bag of condoms and ‘arousal gel’.
It was proved that Foster communicated with the ‘girl’ with the intention of engaging in sexual activity and he was struck off the Health and Care Professions Council register.
The tribunal hearing “found that there remains a significant risk of repetition and with it the risk that the registrant will bring the profession into disrepute in the future.
“Public confidence in the profession would be significantly undermined if the registrant were allowed to remain upon the register, because that course would give the impression to the public that the profession did not take sufficiently seriously an attempt to commit a serious sexual offence against a child.
“The panel recognises that a striking-off order will inevitably have a serious effect upon the registrant. Nevertheless, the panel is satisfied that no other course is consistent with its duty to protect the public and the wider public interest.”
Foster will no longer be able to work in the profession that they were registered in and will not be able to apply for restoration onto the HCPC register for at least five years.
