Edward Finn: Anaesthetist imprisoned after sexually abusing a child

An anesthesiologist who sexually abused a young girl in hospital for surgery and took intimate photographs of patients has been sentenced to eight years in prison.

Edward Finn, 36, worked as a doctor in several hospitals in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

His crime was discovered when a family member found an iPad that he intended to give to a child, but discovered pictures of naked children on it.

In sentencing on Friday, a judge called Finn a “predatory paedophile.”

Nottingham Crown Court heard the case after indecent images were found on other devices, police were called and the defendant, from Cotgrave in Nottinghamshire, was arrested nearby.

Police investigations revealed that some of the images showed the genitals of an unidentified woman who was being treated at the Royal Derby Hospital. Other images showed the sexual assault of a young girl undergoing surgery at King’s Mill Hospital in Nottinghamshire.

The court concluded that almost 4,000 images of indecent material depicting children aged between 12 months and 14 years were uncovered, including 179 in the most serious category, as well as voyeuristic images of women.

In victim statements read in court, a family member of the defendant said their lives had been “torn apart,” while a parent of one of the victims said they “still struggle to accept the nature of these crimes against our daughter.”

Finn pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse of a child under 13, three counts of making indecent photographs of children, three counts of taking indecent photographs of children and two counts of voyeurism.

Passing sentence, Judge Michael Auty KC said Finn’s offending would “go far beyond the suffering” caused to the victims and their families and would also have an impact on other doctors.

“People are understandably afraid of medical situations and I suspect what you have done will irreparably damage the trust that society must inevitably place in the medical profession,” he said.

“It’s hard to imagine someone who has fallen so low and thrown away so much.”

Regarding the pictures of the woman in the hospital in Derby, the judge said: “I can hardly imagine a greater breach of trust in a doctor than this.”

He also referred to the impact the attack on the girl at King’s Mill Hospital had on her parents.

“Imagine the betrayal you must feel,” he told the defendant.

“Her daughter had been entrusted to the care of a predatory paedophile.”

In addition to his sentence, Finn must serve four years’ probation, be placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and be subject to a lifetime sexual assault prevention order.

Following the verdict, Dr Simon Roe, deputy medical director of Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs King’s Mill Hospital, offered an “unreserved apology” to the girl and her family.

“Since we were made aware of this incident as part of the police investigation, we have been assisting Nottinghamshire Police and conducting our own thorough investigation to understand how someone could breach the strict measures in place to protect patients,” he said.

“Ultimately, only Edward Finn knows how he managed to commit these heinous crimes, which to me clearly represent the ultimate breach of trust – not only to the victim in his care and his family, but also to the thousands of colleagues who work tirelessly to deliver the best possible care across our NHS.”

Dr Gis Robinson, chief medical officer at the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Royal Derby Hospital, said: “We are appalled that Finn abused his position on our premises in this way.”

“We have strict safety measures in place to protect patients and staff and would like to reassure all patients in our hospitals that they can ask a companion – be it a family member, friend or other member of staff – to accompany them to any appointment if they wish.”