Surgeon denies possessing indecent images and videos

A SURGEON has denied possessing indecent images of a child and extreme pornographic videos.

Dr Raed Al-Mobayed, of Llanelli, is believed to have worked as an orthopaedic surgeon at Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny. Wearing a navy jacket, red tie and white shirt, the shaven-headed 43-year-old appeared yesterday at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court via a video link.

Al-Mobayed is accused of having indecent pseudo-photographs of a child between January 2008 and December 2009 on a Packard Bell laptop. He is also charged over three extreme pornographic videos which he is alleged to have possessed between January 2009 and December 2009. During the hearing Al-Mobayed spoke only to confirm his personal details and plead not guilty to the two charges. Both offences are alleged to have taken place in Cardiff.

Al-Mobayed, of Heol Llanelli, Pontyates, was bailed ahead of a hearing on May 24 at Cardiff Crown Court.

A spokesman for the General Medical Council (GMC) said it takes the allegations “very seriously” and interim restrictions were placed on the surgeon’s medical licence in

February 2020. The restrictions are pending the conclusion of a GMC investigation and the criminal proceedings.

The spokesman added: “Dr Al-Mobayed’s interim conditions include that, except in life-threatening emergencies, he must not carry out consultations with or treat patients younger than 18 years without a chaperone present; he must keep a log detailing every case where he has carried out a consultation with such a patient, which must be signed by the chaperone; he must keep a log detailing every case where he carried out a consultation with such a patient in a life-threatening emergency without a chaperone present; and, finally, he must give a copy of these logs to the Interim Orders Tribunal at his next review hearing.”

And an Aneurin Bevan University Health Board spokesman said: “We can confirm that the individual has been excluded from the workplace pending the outcome of the court case. His clinical practice has been restricted in line with GMC recommendations throughout.”

The health board said it would be inappropriate to comment further while legal proceedings are ongoing.