{"id":165948,"date":"2025-08-22T07:48:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T07:48:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/165948\/"},"modified":"2025-08-22T07:48:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T07:48:14","slug":"wa-gp-douglas-william-mccarthy-jailed-for-child-sex-offences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/165948\/","title":{"rendered":"WA GP Douglas William McCarthy jailed for child sex offences"},"content":{"rendered":"

A West Australian doctor who paid tens of thousands of dollars to teenage girls for sex and photos, and kept a video library of his offending, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.<\/p>\n

WARNING: This article contains details some readers may find distressing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Douglas William McCarthy, 63, was a practising GP in the state’s south west, when he engaged in sexual acts with girls aged 14 and 15.<\/p>\n

McCarthy was found guilty by a WA District Court jury last week of a range of offences, including persistent sexual conduct and sexual penetration, possessing child pornography, and encouraging a 17-year-old to engage in prostitution.<\/p>\n

He was also found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice after paying some of his victims to “keep quiet”, including depositing $800 into one of the girls’ bank accounts.<\/p>\n

If you or anyone you know needs help:’Sordid and sorry tale’<\/p>\n

In a scathing sentencing hearing, District Judge Wendy Gillan said McCarthy was only interested in his own selfish desires and described his offending over more than two years as a “sorry and sordid tale”.<\/p>\n

Judge Gillan said McCarthy, whose sexual involvement with the girls started when he was aged in his late fifties, engaged in a “high level of corruption” and should have known better given his age, intelligence and education.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Douglas McCarthy has been jailed for 20 years.\u00a0 (ABC News: David Weber)<\/p>\n

She rejected his evidence that he didn’t know the ages of most of the girls.<\/p>\n

“Their true age was not an impediment to you,” she said, pointing out that they were intoxicated during the sexual acts.<\/p>\n

One girl was 14 when she first posed for photos and sent them to McCarthy after being told by a friend that he would pay for them.<\/p>\n

This led to her going to see him and being paid for sexual acts, in what was a familiar pattern for other victims.<\/p>\n

In other incidents, he recorded videos of the offending, many of which the judge said were “degrading”.<\/p>\n

Judge Gillan said he’d allowed teenage girls to drink alcohol, take MDMA and smoke marijuana in his presence, including at his home.<\/p>\n

“Your house was a party house where young people were able to use drugs with impunity.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Victim impact statements<\/p>\n

The court heard that five of the teenagers had provided victim impact statements, with one saying McCarthy had stolen her innocence and she had been made to feel like a “cheap prostitute”.<\/p>\n

Another said she now found it difficult to trust older men and to speak with doctors.<\/p>\n

McCarthy’s lawyer Wayne Burg referred to a letter his client had provided for the judge, saying he now believed “the girls are blameless and he takes responsibility for his actions”.<\/p>\n

But prosecutor Sean Stocks said “last week those girls weren’t blameless”, telling the court that there was no remorse, “just manipulation”.<\/p>\n

\"Sean<\/p>\n

Prosecutor Sean Stocks said McCarthy was not remorseful. \u00a0 (ABC News: David Weber)<\/p>\n

Mr Stocks said he had groomed vulnerable children and took advantage of them using his “apparent wealth”, and kept an extensive video library for his own interests.<\/p>\n

“They’ve all clearly suffered”, Mr Stocks told the court.<\/p>\n

“The person he was to his family and friends was not the person he was.”<\/p>\n

The judge said she couldn’t accept he was remorseful.<\/p>\n

McCarthy was found guilty of 14 charges including child sex offences and attempting to pervert the course of justice, after a jury trial.<\/p>\n

The jury was forced to watch hours of “graphic and disturbing” footage filmed by McCarthy of him sexually abusing the teenagers, with the court hearing he had kept an extensive video library of his offending.<\/p>\n

During his trial, he’d pleaded guilty to four charges of sexual penetration.<\/p>\n

He’ll be eligible for parole after 18 years.<\/p>\n

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