MICHAEL BERANEK SHOCKS BEXHILL AND WEST DRAYTON WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGE SCANDAL

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the communities of Bexhill and West Drayton, Michael David Beranek, a former psychiatrist, has been found guilty of possessing and viewing a large number of child abuse images. The scandal first came to light in December 2014, when police investigations revealed that Beranek, who was working in Bexhill at the time, had been caught with hundreds of indecent images of children on his computer. The initial discovery led to his being struck off the medical register and placed under strict monitoring measures.

Beranek, aged 44 and residing on Harmondsworth Road in West Drayton, had previously worked as a psychiatrist at The Langford Centre in Bexhill, a facility dedicated to caring for vulnerable individuals suffering from mental health issues. His first conviction occurred in 2012 when police uncovered over 800 indecent images stored on his computer. As a result, he received a 20-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, at Lewes Crown Court. Alongside his sentence, he was subjected to a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), which was designed to monitor and restrict his internet activity.

Despite these measures, authorities later discovered that Beranek had resumed viewing child abuse images. This was made possible through the use of monitoring software installed on his computer, which alerted police to his continued illegal activity. During a subsequent court hearing at Isleworth Crown Court, Beranek pleaded guilty to four charges related to the creation and possession of indecent photographs of children, with the images dating back to or before January 21 of that year. Prosecutor Mr. Ravinder Johal explained to the court that initially, Beranek was considered a low-risk offender and was being managed accordingly. However, the monitoring software revealed that he had accessed illegal content again, after clicking on an email link from a third party that advertised sexual images of girls aged 11, 12, and 13.

When confronted by police, Beranek attempted to deny any ongoing viewing of child abuse images, claiming that he had limited his internet activity to fetish sites involving adults. Nevertheless, he later admitted to accessing the images after the email link, which he described as containing material involving young girls. He also told officers that he stored the images on his hard drive and expressed concern, stating, “It’s better you came tonight before it got more out of control.” As a consequence of his actions, Beranek was subjected to a renewed five-year SOPO and was ordered to register as a sex offender.

In February 2013, Beranek attempted to seek leniency by appealing his conviction, asserting that the images did not impact his professional duties and that he had accessed them in the privacy of his own home. He claimed that some of the images were among the most severe available and argued that he should be permitted to continue working as a staff psychiatrist, caring for mentally ill patients in Sussex. However, his claims were dismissed, and he was ultimately struck off the medical register, effectively banning him from practicing medicine or caring for patients ever again.

The Medical Practitioners’ Tribunal Service (MPTS) held a hearing where it was revealed that Beranek had been sentenced in April for making indecent images of children. He received a suspended 20-week jail sentence, along with a requirement to participate in a 60-day supervision order. Additionally, he was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for seven years and was subject to a five-year restriction on his contact with children under the SOPO. The tribunal panel expressed their disapproval, stating, “You stated that you had never accessed such images at your workplace and that your clinical practice had not been affected by your behavior in the privacy of your home. The panel does not consider that you have shown any understanding of the consequences for the children involved in the creating of those images or the vulnerable position in which they were put.”

Throughout the proceedings, Beranek, who provided his address as West Drayton in Middlesex, declined to comment on the case. His actions have not only led to his professional downfall but have also caused significant concern among the communities of Bexhill and West Drayton, highlighting the ongoing threat posed by individuals who abuse their positions of trust and the importance of vigilant monitoring and enforcement of laws protecting children.