Thread: Cardiology professor pleads guilty to possessing child abuse material on his phone

Cardiology professor pleads guilty to possessing child abuse material on his phone


A cardiology professor has pleaded guilty after police found images of and messages about engaging in child sex abuse on his phone.

Cardiac surgeon Andrew McGavigan has pleded guilty to possessing child exploitation material. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied

A South Australian cardiologist has pleaded guilty to accessing and possessing child abuse material after police found pictures and conversations on his phone during a raid of his home.

Andrew Douglas McGavigan, who worked as a professor at Flinders University’s Medical Centre, fronted the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

He was charged with one count each of using a carriage service to access the abusive material and possessing or controlling the material in the form of data on a computer or storage device.

McGavigan was arrested on December 7 last year after officers from the SA Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET) raided his Hawthorn home.

They found abusive material on his mobile phone, and records of communication between himself and another person discussing engaging in sexual activity with children in Thailand.

Magistrate Mary-Louise Hribal told the court the offences occurred between September and December 2020.
According to the Australian Federal Police, the investigation was sparked after SA JACET received a report from the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation which suggested files were being transmitted via a social media platform.

McGavigan is on bail and his case will continue to be heard in the District Court on April 30.
https://www.news.com.au/national/south-australia/cardiology-professor-pleads-guilty-to-possessing-child-abuse-material-on-his-phone/news-story/5d75b5145b0ffd5a31b6cd33c451bb56