UK Psychiatrist Adrian Marsden Sentenced for Possession of Child Abuse Images

June 6, 2020

A UK National Health Services psychiatrist addicted to child abuse images has avoided jail after he was found out when an amateur dramatics coach helped him download a mobile phone app to learn his lines.

Charmaine Parkin (the coach) was shocked to find a thumbnail of a vile image on child psychiatrist Dr. Adrian Marsden's device and confronted him.

Police later found almost 2,000 sickening images on his computer.

Marsden, who worked at an NHS adolescent mental health treatment center, admitted he had a 'fetish' for child abuse images and viewed it to help him ease stress.

One of these occasions was after the 2017 inquest of tragic teenager Becky Romero.

Marsden, 60, came under fire from Becky's parents after he decided to discharge the 15-year-old only for her to tragically hang herself days later.

Becky's mother Nicky Romero expressed her disgust after the married father-of-two avoided jail time after being convicted of possessing child abuse images.

Mrs. Romero, 48, from Bristol, said: “He worked in an adolescent unit where he took children into a little room to talk one-to-one with them. Yet he was behaving like this? I am gobsmacked.

“I have been through so much stress because of what happened but I dealt with it. Most people who are stressed go for a walk or have a drink, they don't turn to that.

“I wish he had gone to jail and am disgusted that he hasn't. He has got away with it scot-free.”

A court heard Marsden worked at the Pebble Lodge NHS treatment center in Westbourne, Bournemouth, Dorset.

Jason Spelman, who was prosecuting, said he was exposed back in October 2019 at an evening acting class at Bournemouth University he helped run with Ms. Parkin.

He wanted to download a mobile app to help him learn lines as part of the acting class.

Mr. Spelman said: “Charmaine Parkin offered to help him with this and when she was handling his phone she noticed a thumbnail which led to an image of a child in a sexual pose.

“She was concerned about this and decided to confront him at a meeting on January 7, 2020, saying she could not work with him.

“He told her he had a fetish and had hundreds of images which he was ashamed of and he wanted to get help but if he told his work he would get the sack.

“She contacted the police and they arrested him at Pebble Lodge. Police found he had a large number of indecent images of children as young as eight years old.”

Marsden suffered depression after being criticized at the inquest. His defense team claim he viewed child abuse images during “times of trauma.”

Officers found 1,982 Category C images and 42 more serious prohibited images showing “corporal punishment” of children on his computer which were dated between May 2010 and January 2020.

David Hurley, mitigating, said that Marsden had never “breached trust” by acting on his urges with any of his vulnerable teenage patients.

He said that he had been suspended by the General Medical Council and was likely to be “struck off” following a disciplinary tribunal.

Hurley explained: “Dr. Marsden started downloading indecent images in 2010 and there were periods when he left them well alone.

“He deleted some of the images as he knew what he was doing was wrong but like a smoker who is trying to quit smoking who keeps some cigarettes he kept some.

“These, he looked at in times of trauma, such as when he was suffering depression in late 2017 and 2018 after being criticized at an inquest of a young person took her own life.

“Dr. Marsden separated his professional and private life and never acted upon it (his urges) through contact with children.

“He is now heavily engaged in Sex Addicts Anonymous and knows he is likely to be struck off by the General Medical Council.

“He has since retired and his wife and family are standing by him.”

Marsden, of Poole, pleaded guilty to charges of making indecent photos of children and possessing prohibited images of children under the Protection of Child Act (1978) at Poole Magistrates' Court.

He avoided jail and was instead fined £2,500 and given five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, an 18 month community order and told to pay £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.

Jason Spelman, prosecuting, said: "In October 2019, the defendant was at an evening acting class he ran at Bournemouth University and he wanted to download an app to help him learn his lines.

"A woman offered to help him with this and when she was handling his phone she noticed a thumbnail which led to an image of a child in a sexual pose.

"She was concerned about this and decided to confront him at a meeting on January 7, 2020, saying she could not work with him.

"He told her he had a fetish and had hundreds of images which he was ashamed of and he wanted to get help but if he told his work he would get the sack.

"The woman contacted the police and they arrested him at Pebble Lodge and police found he had a large number of indecent images of children as young as eight years old."

Mitigating, David Hurley said that Marsden had never 'breached trust' by acting on his urges with any of his vulnerable patients.

He said that he had been suspended by the General Medical Council and was likely to be 'struck off' following a disciplinary tribunal.

He said: "Dr. Marsden started downloading indecent images in 2010 and there were periods when he left them well alone.

"He deleted some of the images as he knew what he was doing was wrong but like a smoker who is trying to quit smoking who keeps some cigarettes he kept some.

"These, he looked at in times of trauma, such as when he was suffering depression in late 2017 and 2018.

"Dr. Marsden separated his professional and private life and never acted upon it (his urges) through contact with children.

"He is now heavily engaged in Sex Addicts Anonymous and knows he is likely to be struck off by the General Medical Council."

In sentencing judge Stephen Nicholls said: "The defendant occupied a position where members of the public would expect a professional to be trusted and if they knew his background it would undoubtedly have been concerning to them.

"You have lost your good character and your professional reputation."

Marsden was also given an 18-month community order and told to pay £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.

Afterwards the Dorset HealthCare Trust said Marsden no longer works for the organization.

Eugine Yafele, Dorset HealthCare chief executive, said: "As soon as we were made aware of it (this matter), Dr. Marsden was suspended while we launched our own internal inquiry.

"Dr. Marsden no longer works for the trust. We have also informed the General Medical Council.

"It is important to stress there is no evidence these offences involved any of our patients, or were connected to them in any way.

"Nonetheless, we are shocked and appalled by what has happened, and Dr. Marsden's colleagues at Pebble Lodge are deeply shaken."

Dorset HealthCare has a dedicated phone number – 01305 363075 – for people who wish to discuss any concerns they have or access support.

Source: Ieuan Ivett, “Paedophile NHS psychiatrist avoids jail after police found vile collection of almost 2,000 child abuse images when he confessed he had 'fetish',” Mailonline, June 6, 2020. URL: https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/18498828.bournemouth-child-psychiatrist-thousands-indecent-images/