Junior doctor urged boy, 13, to have sex without condom

A junior NHS doctor tried to incite a 13-year-old to have sex through the gay dating app Grindr after attending a drug-fuelled sex party when he finished his night shift at a psychiatric unit, a tribunal heard today.

Thomas Jenkins, 28, sent obscene pictures of himself over a two-day period, asking him how he lost his virginity and ‘how do you like to be f*****?’ after contacting him on Grindr. 

Jenkins was arrested at his workplace in Wrexham, North Wales, after it transpired the ‘boy’ was in fact an undercover police officer assigned to track down online paedophiles. 

The hospital worker refused to give up passwords to devices he owned and gave a ‘no comment’ interview, apart from saying that he had ‘ruined his life’. 

A report revealed Jenkins took Mephedrone and had used Grindr on the day of the incident.

He returned home from work and used the app before attending the party.

Jenkins then contacted another male and spent the night with him.

After, he took more drugs and used Grindr again, making contact with a ‘boy’ with the pseudonym Liam.

He told ‘Liam’ he ‘wanted to slap him about a bit’ and ‘spit in his mouth’ during sex and urged him to have sex without a condom because it was more natural. 

Jenkins, who lives in a quayside flat in Manchester city centre, listed on the Sex Offenders Register after he was made to sign it for five years in April.

He was also given a three-year community order after admitting he’d attempted to incite a child of 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity in March. 

Attending with his mother, he faced being struck off at a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service misconduct hearing today.

Jenkins began asking ‘Liam’ questions about his sex life and urged him to have sex without protection in a conversation that ended when the ‘boy’ told him he was going to eat his tea, the tribunal heard.

General Medical Council (GMC) lawyer Sharon Beatties told the hearing ‘Liam’ claimed to have met people before on Grindr, which is targeted at ‘gay, bi, curious and queer men’.

‘Liam said he had a boyfriend in the year above and that he had met a couple of guys on the site,’ she said. ‘

The junior doctor at a psychiatric unit told what he thought was a teenager that he wanted to spit in his mouth and slap him about 

Some minutes later Dr Jenkins sent seven pictures of an indecent nature, in some instances of an obscene nature to Liam who he believed was 13.

‘They are photographs sent of himself in various states both physical and in states of undress. 

‘After this Dr Jenkins asked for pictures of Liam in return but Liam said he didn’t send pictures of himself.

‘Thereafter Dr Jenkins started asking about how Liam lost his virginity and what he wanted being on the Grindr site.

‘Liam said he wanted fun and meets. Dr Jenkins said he wanted the same. Dr Jenkins said he would be willing to drive but not until he had seen Liam’s face. 

‘The doctor then asked how he liked to be f***** and what sexual positions he liked. He also urged the boy to have sex without a condom as it was more natural.

‘The doctor then said what he would like to do to him. He said he wanted to use his holes, spit in his mouth and slap him about a bit. 

Jenkins urged the supposed teenager to have sex without a condom, telling him it was more natural

‘The conversation ended because Liam said he wanted to go for his tea.

‘Police were able to find Dr Jenkins because of the information he provided and he was arrested at his workplace which was at a psychiatric unit in Wrexham.

‘He was interviewed by the police and made no comment safe to say he had ruined his life. 

‘He was asked for passwords for his phone or any electrical devices he had but made no comment and didn’t provide them.

‘As is normal a pre sentence report is prepared also as is usual there was a risk assessment prepared.

‘In essence, the doctor said he had been using drugs, mephedrone, that he had been on Grindr, that he had been working overnight he returned from work and went on the Grindr app, went to a sex party, came home and contacted another male, had sex with him, spent the night with him, used more drugs and went on to the Grindr app again where he had the contact with the boy.

‘This doctor has been convicted of a serious offence of attempting to groom someone he believed to be 13 years of age. 

‘It was sexual activity, in particular penetrative sexual activity. That is, in terms of the public perception, particularly deplorable conduct when committed particularly by a doctor whom the public trust imposes.

He refused to surrender passwords to devices when arrested but admitted he’d ruined his life

‘This behaviour began on one day and continued on the second. It was not simply one contact but the contact continued and the texts expressed clear sexual interest, an attempt to pursue someone he believed to be a minor into having sex.

‘The doctor says “I’m not a predator” but you might think this was predatory behaviour. ‘

‘This was recent behaviour and the doctor has demonstrated he was mindful of the sort of effect his use of drugs had. 

‘The GMC say it’s so serious erasure can be the only possible sanction. Sexual misconduct seriously undermines the public trust in the profession.

‘He attempted to seek to have a sexual experience with someone he believed to be 13 years of age. 

‘The public would be rightly appalled to think that this doctor had behaved in such a deplorable manner.’

But Jenkins’s lawyer Alan Jenkins said his client presented as a ‘sympathetic figure’.

‘Whilst the conviction is certainly serious it’s not the most serious. 

Jenkins used the phone app Grindr to speak to the police officer but claims he is not a predator

‘I don’t seek to minimise the seriousness of Dr Jenkins’s actions but he had not abused his position as a doctor. 

‘There’s no evidence in this case to suggest his care of patients was in any way substandard.

‘He was working as a good and useful junior doctor. He is on a path of remediation and that’s a path he will be on for some time. He does present as a sympathetic figure.

‘Some people enjoy the luxury of growing up, others don’t have that luxury and some people struggle to deal with who they are and how they are and the circumstances they find themselves. It’s apparent that this doctor had struggles of his own.

‘This was out of character and not in keeping with anything in is background. 

‘Dr Jenkins is on a path and it would be fair to allow him to remain on that path. He was a good useful doctor there’s no suggestion of patients care being compromised. 

‘It would be fair to allow him continue and maintain his knowledge and skills and remain on the register.’

The hearing continues.