ExDunedin doctor arrested

AUCKLAND: New South Wales police have arrested a New Zealand doctor for allegedly inciting a sexual relationship with an 11yearold girl and her mother.

Dr Murray Govan, a 49yearold specialist doctor who grew up in Dunedin, is alleged to have sent child abuse material before making arrangements to meet the woman and girl for sex.

Investigations led to the man being arrested outside a hotel at Parramatta in Sydney’s west on Wednesday.

Detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit (CEIU) began engaging online with a man in March.

The man allegedly talked about sexually explicit acts he wished to perform on the child and her 32yearold mother, separately and together.

Police will argue the man, who is living in Coffs Harbour, believed he was speaking to the 11yearold’s mother.

‘‘The man was taken to Parramatta Police Station and charged with inciting a person as an accessory before the fact to attempted aggravated sexual intercourse of a person between 10 and 14 years of age, and using a carriage service for child pornography,’’ NSW Police said.

Dr Govan grew up in Dunedin and studied at the University of Otago, graduating in 1993. He moved to Australia more than 16 years ago, where he runs the Coffs Coast Skin Cancer Clinic.

He a Fellow of the Skin Cancer College and is a tutor for the Advanced Clinical Certificate of Skin Cancer Medicine and Surgery as well as a lecturer in the Certificate of Skin Cancer Medicine.

Skin Cancer College Australasia chief executive Lynette Hunt said the college board met on Friday and suspended Govan’s membership and directorship.

The doctor appeared at Parramatta Local Court on Friday. He did not apply for bail, and remains in custody. He will reappear at Parramatta Court on Wednesday.