Swanley; Dr. Admits Assaulting Patients

A Doctor from Swanley has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a number of patients and taking indecent images at his practice.

In May 2012, the mother of a patient contacted police after she became concerned about the treatment that 55 year-old Dr Barend Delport had provided at The Oaks surgery in Swanley. Delport had taken intimate photos of the patient, who had visited him complaining of a stomach ache. Senior health practitioners were consulted and agreed that the images would serve no clinical purpose.

Delport was arrested and a search warrant was executed at his now former home in Eynsford Rise, Eynsford, and over 500,000 images were found on his computer. These included indecent images he had downloaded from the internet as well as images that he had taken during medical examinations of both adults and children at the surgery. The indecent images of children ranged from levels 1 - 5.

Detectives also seized a number of photographic consent forms where patients had consented to photos being taken during the course of examinations after Delport explained that they would be used for 'training purposes' or because the case was 'the worst he had ever seen.' The reasons he gave were not true.

Following a comprehensive investigation by detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate and public protection officers from Tunbridge Wells police station, supported by NHS England's Kent and Medway team, which wrote to former and current patients to see if they had concerns, Delport was charged.

Appearing before Maidstone Crown Court on 2 August, Barend Delport pleaded guilty to 26 offences; four counts of indecent/sexual assaults on adults, three indecent/sexual assaults on children, two counts of possessing indecent images of children, five counts of making indecent images of children and twelve offences of taking indecent images of children.

Delport was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on 9 September.
 
Detective Chief Inspector David Chewter from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate said: "Barend Delport's behaviour was an appalling and gross breach of the trust that patients, some of whom were vulnerable, had placed in him as a general practitioner. Delport didn't discriminate when it came to his victims, who were of all ages. As our investigation progressed we identified more victims who had been concerned about his treatment, but had not reported it, and I am pleased we were able to identify them so they could be reassured that their concerns were justified."