image credit: The Mirror
A Newcastle-based dentist has been struck off the GDC after horrific allegations came to light concerning his conduct at the Always Smiling surgery in Throckley. Daniel Stocks, 37 and a married father of three, was alleged to have hidden his iPhone in the toilet of his surgery and using it to record women when they entered.
Stocks previously pleaded guilty to eight charges of voyeurism at Newcastle Magistrates Court and has subsequently been struck off the register following a hearing by the GDC’s Professional Standards Committee on Friday 29 May.
According to the Mirror, the judge called his offences a “monstrous breach of trust” while one victim said: “I’m horrified and outraged by what he has done, it was a real shock to be shown the image by the police. It’s horrendous, I feel exposed, vulnerable and violated by his actions.”
Another victim commented: “It was a total violation of my privacy. Knowing he videoed my private parts is utterly despicable, deceitful and dishonest.”
His crimes were only discovered when a woman, not realising he was the perpetrator, spotted the light of the phone shining through as paper towel under the sink and giving it to him. Despite efforts to hide his tracks, the woman called the police the day after and videos showing the victims in the bathroom were found on his hard drive.
In their determination to erase him, the GDC said: “The Committee concluded that there was evidence that you pose a danger to the public through your behaviour and attitudinal issues. The Committee had already concluded that you lack full insight into your behaviour. The Committee was of the view that the behaviour that led to your conviction is not isolated and occurred over a protracted period of time. The Committee considered that the offences were deliberate actions on your part and involved a breach of trust, abuse of position and a serious sexual offence.”
Stocks now has 28 days to appeal before he is erased from the register. He was also given a community order in court.