RICHARD CORMACK STRUCK OFF AS NURSE IN EDINBURGH AFTER CHILD SEX ABUSE IMAGES REVEALED

RICHARD CORMACK STRUCK OFF AS NURSE IN EDINBURGH AFTER CHILD SEX ABUSE IMAGES REVEALED

In September 2017, nurse Richard Cormack was formally struck off the register following the discovery of over 800 images of child sex abuse.

The incident occurred while Cormack was employed at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (ERI).

Authorities carried out a search of his flat in Edinburgh, uncovering numerous explicit images and more than 600 indecent videos of children stored across two computer hard drives.

A Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing concluded that, although there was no evidence that Cormack caused harm to patients through his clinical practice, his conviction and the volume of offensive images strongly indicated a sexual interest in children.

The panel stated: “Whilst the panel has no evidence that patients were harmed in the past in terms of Mr Cormack’s clinical practice, the nature of the conviction and the number of images involved suggests that Mr Cormack has a sexual interest in children.” The material was discovered in December 2015.

In August of the following year, Cormack, then 56, appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court where he admitted to one charge.

He was sentenced to a community payback order, which included completing 275 hours of unpaid work, and he was placed on the sex offenders’ register for three years.

At the time of the discovery, Cormack was working in the outpatient dialysis unit at ERI.

NHS Lothian confirmed that he was suspended immediately after being charged and no longer remains employed by the health board.