NHS psychiatrist, 49, who was found with animal porn on his phone avoids being struck off after claiming he was viewing it to research his patients’ ‘sexual perversions’
- Dr Mansur Butt, 49, downloaded illegal animal pornography on his phone
- The NHS psychiatrist claimed he was researching his patients’ perversions
- Police seized his phone but did not prosecute, instead reporting him to the GMC
- The GMC accepted Dr Butt did not download the footage for his sexual pleasure
An NHS psychiatrist who watched sickening and illegal pornography featuringN animals has been allowed to carry on treating vulnerable patients.
Dr Mansur Butt, 49, from Warrington, admitted having bestiality material on his phones but claimed he only watched it because he was interested in his patients’ perversions and not for his own sexual pleasure.
A full GMC ruled that the behaviour of the doctor, who has worked extensively across Manchester and Liverpool, amounted to misconduct but stopped short of saying he should no longer be allowed to practice.
NHS psychiatrist Dr Mansur Butt, pictured, downloaded animal pornography on his mobile phone which was later seized by police
Police decided against prosecuting Dr Butt, pictured, but reported him to the General Medical Council who launched an investigation into his professional conduct
And today Dr Butt told Mail Online that he had actually reported himself to police after watching the extreme porn by mistake.
Dr Butt, who is also a DJ, poet and sometime media pundit, was subject of a misconduct hearing in Manchester in February and March which examined whether he had misconducted himself and whether he should be allowed to continue working in medicine.
The tribunal heard that on January 25, 2018, police had raided Dr Butt’s home, seizing two Samsung mobile telephones and a memory card.
The written evidence showed: ‘The media found on Dr Butt’s electronic devices included extreme pornographic imagery showing bestiality. The possession of such material is an illegal act.
‘Dr Butt admitted that he was in possession of what was described as “extreme images”, and described how this was for “educational purposes” in a research capacity in his role as a Psychiatrist. Dr Butt denied having a sexual interest in such material and was not sexually aroused by the pictures.’
Police decided not to prosecute the doctor but instead referred him to regulatory body the GMC.
The tribunal ruled in his favour, explaining in a written judgement: ‘There was insufficient suitable expert evidence as to whether each of the unique 22 videos were viewed and if so, how often.’
They accepted he wasn’t viewing the material for pleasure: ‘Dr Butt has no sexual interest in bestiality or bestiality imagery. He does not find such material sexually arousing.
‘In his professional practice it is not unforeseeable that he would encounter patients with sexual perversions and it was therefore reasonable that he had a professional interest in such matters, insofar as is necessary as a general adult psychiatrist.
‘In the modern era it is not uncommon for busy professionals to use various devices to undertake electronic communication or to undertake research in whatever pockets of time are available. As such, the Tribunal was satisfied that his explanation for using his mobile telephone to look for articles was reasonable.’
Today Dr Mansur Butt defended his conduct. He told Mail Online: ‘It was on my mobile device.
‘I was looking for research material around sexual perversion, which is part of my job, but not specifically bestiality.
‘I read a few articles and when I clicked one link suggested by Google, I think it was a malicious link, pop-ups began running in the background, which I struggled to shut down because as I stopped one, another popped up.
‘Eventually, I managed to shut my phone down.
‘I was fully assessed by a forensic psychologist in detail and they did not find any concerns about me having preferences for any such thing.
‘After going through all the painstaking proceedings and finally being able to get my mind off it, every time I look back it is a horrible experience, although it was my error of judgement, it is not pleasant to keep looking back.’
He added: ‘The tribunal listened to both sides and they couldn’t find any evidence that I had ever searched for any such key words, downloaded or repeatedly view any such material.’
He said all his electronic devices were forensically analysed by the police, who found nothing.
He added: ‘It was a one-off and beyond my control.
‘When it happened, I volunteered the information to the police and my employer.’
Dr Butt qualified as a doctor in Pakistan in 1999 and has been working in the UK since 2004. He’s a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and has studied at the University of Manchester.
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