Dr Thomas O’Neill, 37, preyed on the child, who he met through his work, between November 2019 and May 2020.
A paediatric doctor has been struck off after he was convicted of sending indecent images to a child he met through work.
Dr Thomas O’Neill, 37, has been stripped of his license to practice after he was found guilty of indecent communications with a 15-year-old boy at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in February last year.
O’Neill, who worked in the A&E department at Edinburgh Sick Kids Hospital, preyed on the child between November 2019 and May 2020.
Court papers state O’Neill, who was 31-years-old at the time, coerced the boy into looking at images of his penis. He repeatedly contacted the child on Whatsapp, Snapchat, and over the phone for the purposes of sexual gratification.
Depraved O’Neill avoided a custodial sentence was slapped with a community payback order with 18 months supervision when sentenced in March 2025. He was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements.
O’Neill, of Edinburgh, was hauled before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) earlier this week. Disturbing details of his predatory actions were laid bare during the hearing, which was held on Thursday.
It heard how the doctor met the child when he was just 14 via a colleague. While driving a car in November 2019, with the child as a passenger, predatory O’Neill asked the boy about his masturbation habits.
Months later, he began messaging the child inappropriately on WhatsApp before going on to send the him pictures of his penis on Snapchat. The tribunal heard that O’Neill then told the child he was buying sex toys.
Thereafter, he turned up at his house to give the minor a silicone device. The boy blocked O’Neill, however, he attempted contact again by repeatedly approaching him on other platforms using both male and female usernames.
The pervert masked himself under another male name and messaged the victim, asking if he was gay. The creep then sent the minor a picture of a penis and asked the young boy if he recognised his genitals.
The watchdog hearing ruled that in light of his offences, the doctor’s fitness to practise is impaired. O’Neill was struck off the medical register and banned from working in the profession indefinitely.
Giving his conclusion, MPTS tribunal chair Lee Davies said: “Dr O’Neill’s actions of sending explicit images and messages to a child undermines patients’ and the public’s trust and confidence in the medical profession and inevitably brings the profession as a whole into disrepute.
“His actions fall far short of proper professional standards and conduct for medical practitioners and his lack of insight into the seriousness of his behaviour and the potential impact this could have had on patients, colleagues and the wider profession, coupled with his failure to remediate were all matters the tribunal weighed in the balance when making its decision.
“The Tribunal concluded that the interests of Dr O’Neill are outweighed by the need to protect the public, including the need to maintain the reputation of the profession as a whole. The Tribunal therefore determined that Dr O’Neill’s name be erased from the medical register.”
O’Neill graduated from the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex in 2013.
He joined the General Medical Council registry the following year. As well as his role at Edinburgh Sick Kids Hospital, O’Neill was employed as a research fellow at Edinburgh University.
In videos shared on YouTube, he was seen providing support to LGBT staff. Edinburgh University removed all clips associated with O’Neill from its platforms after being approached by the Record.
The university declined to comment. The Record understands O’Neill is no longer employed by NHS Lothian.
Tom Power, Director of People and Culture, NHS Lothian, said: “While we do not comment on individual members of staff or former staff, we expect all our staff to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and patient care, and take necessary and appropriate steps where this is not the case.”
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