Dr Thomas O’Neill, 37, was struck off after he was caught repeatedly contacting a 15-year-old boy on WhatsApp, Snapchat and over the phone for purposes of sexual gratification
Dr Thomas O’Neill, 37, has been stripped of his license to practice (Image: YouTube)
A paediatric doctor has been struck off and banned from the profession indefinitely after sending indecent images to a child he met through work.
Thomas O’Neill, 37, was banned from practicing after he was caught repeatedly contacting a 15-year-old boy on WhatsApp, Snapchat and over the phone for purposes of sexual gratification. He was found guilty of indecent communications at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in February last year.
O’Neill preyed on the child between November 2019 and May 2020 whilst working at the A&E department of Edinburgh Sick Kids Hospital. According to court papers, O’Neill, who was 31 at the time, coerced the boy into looking at images of his penis.
He avoided a custodial sentence and was slapped with a community payback order within 18 months supervision when sentenced in March 2025. He was made subject to sex offender notification requirements.
O’Neill was caught sending indecent images to a child(Image: Youtube)
Disturbing details of O’Neill’s predatory actions were laid bare at a hearing before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) on Thursday. It heard how the former doctor met the victim, who was just 14 at the time, through a colleague. While driving a car in November 2019, with the child as a passenger, predatory O’Neill asked the boy about his masturbation habits.
Months later, he began messaging the child inappropriately on WhatsApp before going on to send him pictures of his penis on Snapchat. The tribunal heard that O’Neill then told the child he was buying sex toys. The doctor showed up at his house to give the teenager a silicone device.
O’Neill was blocked by the victim but attempted contact again by repeatedly approaching him on other platforms using both male and female usernames. He masked himself under another male name and messaged the victim, asking if he was gay. He then sent the minor a picture of a penis and asked the young boy if he recognised his genitals.
The watchdog hearing ruled that in light of his offences, the doctor’s fitness to practise is impaired. O’Neill was struck off the medical register and banned from working in the profession indefinitely.
Giving his conclusion, MPTS tribunal chair Lee Davies said: “Dr O’Neill’s actions of sending explicit images and messages to a child undermines patients’ and the public’s trust and confidence in the medical profession and inevitably brings the profession as a whole into disrepute.
“His actions fall far short of proper professional standards and conduct for medical practitioners and his lack of insight into the seriousness of his behaviour and the potential impact this could have had on patients, colleagues and the wider profession, coupled with his failure to remediate were all matters the tribunal weighed in the balance when making its decision.
“The tribunal concluded that the interests of Dr O’Neill are outweighed by the need to protect the public, including the need to maintain the reputation of the profession as a whole. The Tribunal therefore determined that Dr O’Neill’s name be erased from the medical register.”
O’Neill graduated from the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex in 2013 before joining the General Medical Council registry the following year. He was also employed as a research fellow at Edinburgh University during his time in the profession. In videos shared on YouTube, he was seen providing support to LGBT staff.
O’Neill is no longer employed by NHS Lothian, reports The Record. Tom Power, Director of People and Culture, NHS Lothian, said: “While we do not comment on individual members of staff or former staff, we expect all our staff to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and patient care, and take necessary and appropriate steps where this is not the case”.
