Rotorua nurse caught with child porn

`Offensive, degrading' images see man struck off nursing register
A Rotorua nurse's registration has been cancelled after he admitted having video footage showing sexual acts involving children as young as six.
The two videos found in S Derecourt's home in 2001 also contained footage of urination and excrement involved in sexual acts, while two printouts showed humans involved in sexual acts with animals.
At the time of the offending, Derecourt had worked at Rotorua Hospital.
In a decision released yesterday, the New Zealand Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal said Derecourt had been found guilty of professional misconduct and his registration as a nurse cancelled.
The majority of the tribunal recommended he not re-apply for registration for six months.
Before he applied he must undergo an examination and, if necessary, therapy to satisfy the Nursing Council he was a fit and proper person to be registered as a nurse.
If Derecourt was re-registered the council should carefully assess his area of practice to ensure potentially vulnerable patients were not unreasonably exposed to him.
In late 2001 Derecourt had been charged with four offences relating to the material found at his home.
He had admitted the charges and been fined $750 for each offence.
Derecourt had told a Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) inspector that he knew child sex was illegal but had kept the video because he liked the bondage and discipline in the beginning of it.
"The material found in Mr Derecourt's possession was highly offensive, degrading and injurious to children.
"It is totally unacceptable for any health professional to possess material of the kind found in Mr Derecourt's home in July 2001," the tribunal said.
In considering the penalty it had taken into account the fact Derecourt had not previously offended, and had 25 years experience as a nurse without being the subject of any previous disciplinary action.
Other factors were that the offending happened four years ago, Derecourt had suffered grief and depression as a result of being charged, was remorseful and genuinely sorry, and references attested to his generally good character.
The Nursing Council had been alerted to Derecourt's convictions last November by a DIA officer during inquiries about another nurse who had recently been sentenced to prison for possessing objectionable material, the tribunal said
Derecourt's counsel had told the tribunal that Derecourt had moved to Tauranga since the offending.
He had worked in a private facility before taking a break from nursing to work in a restaurant but did want to resume practising as a nurse.
He was ordered to pay 25 per cent of the costs of the tribunal and the Professional Conduct Committee associated with the hearing.
So far this year, the conduct of nine nurses has been investigated, resulting in five having their registration cancelled.
There are 50,000 nurses practising in New Zealand. NZPA