Stoke hospital surgeon spared jail over child abuse images

Cristian Bogdan was handed a 12-month suspended sentence during a hearing at Chester Crown Court

A surgeon who admitted downloading thousands of indecent images of children has been spared jail.

Cardiothoracic specialist Cristian Bogdan, 42, formally of the Royal Stoke Hospital, was found to have material stored on IT devices.

He admitted making and possessing indecent photographs of children and possessing prohibited images of children.

Bogdan received a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years.

He was arrested by officers from Cheshire Police's paedophile and cyber-investigation team in December 2017, Chester Crown Court was told.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said a search of his home in Congleton found a string of still pictures, cartoons and two videos showing child sexual abuse.

Damion Lloyd, of Mersey Cheshire CPS, said Bogdan "was continually actively seeking out dreadful images of abuse".

The surgeon had been working as a cardiothoracic specialist at the Royal Stoke Hospital

Bogdan, now of London Road, Macclesfield, is currently interim suspended by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, with the General Medical Council carrying out an investigation.

The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) said he was no longer an employee.

"Mr Cristian Bogdan resigned and is no longer an employee of UHNM," a spokesman said. "As the offences he committed were not in any way linked to his work at the trust, it would be inappropriate for us to comment."