Pervert doctor '˜still a risk to children'

Benjamin Brooks said he deserved the chance to give something back to society at a tribunal following his jail term for a string of sex attacks.

The 28-year-old, from Lytham, tried to have the hearing held in private before officials ruled he had tried to play down the impact on his victims – who were as young as 10. He was struck off by the panel, who said he showed a ‘concerning lack of insight’ into his offences and feared he may strike again.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal said Brooks, who previously worked at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, had ‘taken few steps toward remediation’ and was at ‘real risk of repetition’.

In its ruling, the panel said: “You said there is a certain amount of stigma around offences such as those you had been convicted of in society due to a lack of understanding, and that you feel society will regret this in future. You submitted there are no actions which are irremediable and that you deserve a chance to give something meaningful back to society.”

The panel was told how Brooks was jailed last April after pleading guilty to one count of sexual assault on a child under 13, as well as two counts of sexual assault and one of witness intimidation. His 28-month jail term was reduced to 22 on appeal.

It heard how, when it was dark at 8.15pm on November 10, 2016, he approached two girls – aged 10 and 12 – on a street corner, before groping the 10-year-old, making a lewd comment, and attempting to flash.

On November 27, he walked up to two 14-year-old girls near a bus stop and, after trying to make conversation, smacked the bottom of one of them before running off. Just 15 minutes later, he approached two more girls, and put his hand down the top and bra of one of them, who was aged 13.

“You carried out three separate sexual assaults on vulnerable teenaged and pre-teenaged girls, who were unknown to you, during the hours of darkness in public places,” the panel told Brooks. “These assaults occurred within a short span of time, and became more severe in their nature, which indicates a concerning pattern of escalating behaviour.

“The tribunal also noted that, on the occasion of the first offence, you asked the girls their names and ages before carrying out the assault.”

Brooks’ first victim was left so traumatised she had nightmares, his second ‘did not go out at all for a time’, while the third ‘wondered if she could trust anyone in the future’.

Brooks, whose address was given in court as Nile Close, Lytham Quays, argued he should have been allowed to continue working with conditions against his registration or following a suspension, and said he was ‘deeply sorry’ for what he did.