DISGRACED HIV DENTIST’S CHILD PORN SHAME

57-year-old jailed for 18 months over stash of images

A FORMER dentist struck off for hiding his HIV from patients has been jailed after he was caught with a vile stash of child porn.

The 57-year-old has been jailed for 18 months.

A FORMER Glasgow dentist struck off after he hid that he had HIV has been jailed for 18 months over a haul of indecent images of children.

Harry Robertson, 57, was struck off the dental register in 2014 after a case before the General Dental Council.

Last June, the disgraced dentist was caught with a stash of dozens of indecent pictures and videos of children at his West End flat.

Robertson was given the 18-month prison sentence at Glasgow Sheriff Court after he admitted downloading and possessing the i mages between July 2009 and one 2017.

Sheriff Joseph Platt said he considered Robertson’s lack of previous convictions and health problems he suffered from, but said “the children involved in these images were hideously abused”.

Robertson was also put on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

The court heard police received information last June that there were indecent images at the Cleveden Drive flat.

On June 6, police searched the property and found a hard drive, laptop and USB sticks.

The court was told 130 still images and 85 videos were found on the various devices, with the majority being “category A”, the most serious.

Defence lawyer Rodney Stevens said following Robertson’s HIV diagnosis his relationship broke down and he stopped working in 2012, and in 2013 there was a “rapid decline in his mental health”.

He said Robertson didn’t actively search for the images but used a video sharing application and accepts “he should have taken action to avoid these images”.

In 2014 the General Dental Council conducted a private hearing into his actions, with the majority of the charges against him withheld from the public, but documents show he was accused of “dishonest conduct”.

A ruling on the case stated: “The committee has determined it is appropriate to erase the name of Harry Gordon Robertson from the Dentists’ Register.”

In August 2013, NHSGGC contacted patients who had been treated by Robertson between January 2004 and March 2013.

More than 10,000 patients were tested but no-one was found to be HIV positive.

However, hundreds of patients were not traced at that time, although a public awareness campaign was conducted.