Yorkshire Trainee Doctor Struck Off Over Child Abuse Images

Oliver Smith, a trainee doctor from Yorkshire who graduated in 2022, has been permanently barred from practicing medicine after being convicted of making indecent images of children. His offenses, which involved a combination of six Category A and three Category C images, were discovered when the online platform Discord alerted police to the illegal content. Smith was sentenced to a community order, required to complete unpaid work, placed on the sex offenders register, and had his mobile phone forfeited and destroyed. Multiple tribunals determined that Smith’s actions brought the medical profession into disrepute, posed a risk to the public, and warranted his erasure from the medical register, a decision he accepted as he expressed no intention of returning to practice. Separately, Dr. Joseph Onwude was struck off after dishonestly practicing without a license, issuing prescriptions and performing procedures despite his registration suspension, which was found to pose a risk to patient safety and public confidence. Both cases highlight the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service's commitment to protecting public safety and maintaining trust in the medical profession.