Pervert Portsmouth vet is struck off for downloading '˜extremely disturbing' pictures of child abuse

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ disciplinary committee ruled Simon Wood’s actions were ‘fundamentally incompatible with being a veterinary surgeon’.

Wood, 27, of North Street, Emsworth, had been working at Harbour Veterinary Hospital, in London Road, North End.

A published record of the disciplinary proceedings, following his sentencing in January this year, said he admitted downloading images between September 25, 2016, and May 12, 2017.

The ‘excellent practitioner’ was struggling with mental health throughout his life and looked at images as a form of self-harm, the report said.

It added the images ‘contained extremely disturbing and seriously abusive images of children’.

Some children were as young as three, with age ranges from three to six, and four to 13.

Wood accepted being ‘unfit to practise’ following the convictions for 38 videos and 13 still images, the report added. The majority were category A, the worst kind.

Committee chairman Ian Green said: ‘Knowingly downloading indecent images of children is so inherently deplorable and egregious that it must constitute conduct falling far short of that to be expected of a member of the profession; and is certainly liable to bring the profession into serious disrepute and undermine public confidence in the profession.’

Mr Green’s report added: ‘The behaviour by its very nature brings the profession into serious disrepute and is liable to undermine public confidence in the profession.’

Wood’s response to the committee outlined that the number of images were limited and he assisted police investigating him.

Wood also said the laptop where the images were found was a personal laptop so there was no connection between his crime and work.

Shamed Wood, who asked to instead be suspended and not struck off, had self-referred for counselling and referred himself to the RCVS.

The report added: ‘A prime factor in the respondent’s determination to address his offending has been his commitment to the veterinary profession and his desire to be someone who is fit and proper to practise.’

A judge at Portsmouth Crown Court imposed a three-year community order with sex offender programme after Wood admitted three counts of making indecent photographs of a child.

Mitigating factors listed in the report included: the offences being wholly out of character, Wood being of positively good character, the circumstances of his offending being ‘unusual’, the crime being unrelated to his work, none of the offending related to animals, he had ‘exceptional insight’ into his crime, and is of ‘extremely low risk of re-offending’.

Wood was made subject to a five-year sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register.

He was fined £1,000 with £340 costs and £85 surcharge and must complete 20 rehabilitation activity days.

Harbour Veterinary Hospital declined to comment when approached by The News.

Wood has 28 days to appeal the decision, which was made on June 1.