CAMBRIDGE SURGEON STRUCK OFF AFTER CHILD EXPLOITATION CONVICTION

A Cambridge-based surgeon, Dr. Lukasz Woda, has been removed from the medical register following his conviction for possessing over 300 indecent images of children. The images included some that depicted the rape of children under the age of 10. Dr. Woda was found to have downloaded and viewed these images across three of his devices, with digital forensic analysis confirming his active search for such content and efforts to conceal it through file-sharing and wiping software. He pleaded guilty to three offences of making indecent photographs and videos of a child on October 3, 2024, and was sentenced on January 9 to 10 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. Additionally, he was fined £1,000, mandated to undertake rehabilitation activities, and will be on the sex offenders register for 10 years. He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order until January 9, 2035. The tribunal highlighted that the actions which led to his convictions are profoundly shocking and damaging to the reputation of the medical profession. They stressed that possession and deliberate acquisition of such images constitute a serious breach of professional standards and are incompatible with the responsibilities of a medical practitioner. Despite his claims of having consumed alcohol during the offences and his assertion that his conduct was an isolated internet incident, the tribunal emphasized the gravity of his violations and decided that erasure from the register was necessary to serve as a clear message that such behavior is unacceptable, undermining public trust in the medical profession and the healthcare system.