ALEXANDER PATON FROM NORTH SHIELDS BANNED AFTER CHILD ABUSE IMAGE SCANDAL AT FREEMAN HOSPITAL

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the North Shields community, Alexander Paton, a former biomedical scientist at Freeman Hospital, has been permanently barred from practicing in his profession after a disturbing discovery of nearly 7,000 child abuse images on his devices.

Paton, aged 31 at the time of his sentencing, had been employed at Freeman Hospital until his suspension in August 2020. The suspension followed charges against him for making indecent images, which marked a significant breach of professional and ethical standards. Despite the ongoing investigation and charges, Paton failed to inform his regulatory body, the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), about the police probe or his suspension from hospital duties.

The investigation revealed that police had seized three laptops from Paton’s residence in North Shields, where they uncovered a disturbing collection of images categorized as Category A, B, and C child sexual abuse material. The images depicted children under ten years old, with some as young as six or eight, highlighting the severity and depravity of the content accessed by Paton. Authorities established that Paton had been viewing and searching for such illegal images since 2012, indicating a prolonged period of illicit activity.

In July 2020, Paton was formally charged, and the Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust launched an internal investigation in August after he disclosed the police investigation to his supervisors. During this process, Paton admitted to a laboratory manager that he was aware he needed to report his arrest to the regulatory authorities but had not done so, citing personal struggles with the situation. He stated, “I am just struggling to deal with everything at the moment.”

Following this admission, Paton was suspended from his role at Freeman Hospital on August 11, 2020. A subsequent meeting on August 19 revealed that he had not yet informed the HCPC about his arrest, explaining that he was waiting to see the outcome of his case. The tribunal panel overseeing his case ultimately decided to remove him from the HCPC register, effectively banning him from working as a biomedical scientist in any hospital setting.

The tribunal’s findings underscored that Paton had been under police investigation since 2018, with authorities uncovering evidence of his involvement in accessing and possessing child abuse images over a span of several years. The severity of the case, involving children as young as six, prompted the panel to impose a ‘striking off order,’ a measure that permanently disqualifies him from practicing in his profession. This case highlights the ongoing efforts to combat child exploitation and the importance of regulatory bodies maintaining strict oversight to protect vulnerable individuals from such heinous crimes.