US doctor wanted on sex charges worked in NZ

Max Mehta skipped bail of $125,000 and absconded to New Zealand where he is believed to have worked in Canterbury as a radiologist. Photo / Thinkstock

A man wanted on child sex grooming charges in the US was employed as a contractor with a Gisborne-based health board up until earlier this year.

Max Mehta, 45, who changed his name by deed poll to Robert Taylor in 2007, was charged with grooming a 15-year-old deaf girl for sex in an online chatroom in Dallas, Texas, in May 2004, The Guardian reported.

The alleged victim turned out to be a police officer posing as a child and Mehta was arrested when he arrived at an address he believed to be the girl's home.

Mehta later skipped bail of $125,000 and absconded to New Zealand before he was due to appear in court in 2005, The Guardian reported.

Due to not being convicted, Mehta managed to pass police, immigration and work history checks.

A Tairawhiti District Health Board (DHB) spokeswoman today confirmed that Mehta, practising as Dr Robert Taylor, was employed by the board as an off-site radiologist consultant up until earlier this year.

He had worked for the DHB for "quite some years" until his contract expired earlier this year, the spokeswoman said.

"He was essentially a tele-help radiologist so he worked remotely reading and reporting on x-rays, ultrasounds, MRIs, etcetera -- most recently from his base in Australia."

Mehta also worked for the health board remotely while he was based in New Zealand, she said.

"I think he's been on campus a couple of times, but he mostly worked remotely."

A Canterbury DHB spokeswoman confirmed Mehta also worked for Canterbury Medical Imaging -- now Canterbury Community Radiology.

Mehta was granted New Zealand citizenship in 2008 and in 2009 he moved to Australia on a transtasman visa, The Guardian reported. He worked there as a radiologist.

In January last year, Mehta was found to have forged signatures on medical accreditation documents with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the Royal Australian New Zealand College of Radiologists.

However, after a suspension and being ordered to complete an ethics course, he was allowed to continue working.

Australia's Medical Board began an "immediate action process" against Mehta earlier this week.

A warrant for his arrest remains active in the US and an international arrest for his extradition has been sought.

A New Zealand police national headquarters spokesman said they did not comment on "ongoing investigations of this nature".