A surgeon, Dr. Raed Al-Mobayed, has been found not guilty of possessing child sexual abuse images on his laptop. The doctor denied any knowledge of the indecent images found on his old computer and refuted claims that he had put them there. The images were discovered on the laptop, which had been used during 2008 and 2009 while Dr. Al-Mobayed was working as a junior doctor at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr.
During the trial at Swansea Crown Court, it was revealed that the images could have been downloaded from the internet or transferred to the device from a USB memory stick. Dr. Al-Mobayed explained to the court that he often left his laptop unattended in the doctors’ mess at the hospital while working shifts, sometimes even overnight in the communal room.
The police became aware of the images in 2019 when Dr. Al-Mobayed’s former partner found the old laptop in the attic while searching for Christmas decorations. Subsequent examination of the laptop uncovered both still and moving indecent images, along with evidence of the computer being used to access numerous pornographic websites, some featuring younger women and girls.
The prosecution argued that it was highly likely that only Dr. Al-Mobayed could have downloaded the images, as some were stored in specific folders on the device. However, Dr. Al-Mobayed maintained his innocence throughout the trial, asserting that he had never viewed indecent images and had no sexual interest in children. He explained that coming from Gaza, he had joined the medical profession to protect children after witnessing suffering in his homeland.
Following a week-long trial, Judge Paul Hobson acquitted Dr. Raed Al-Mobayed of possession of indecent images of Categories A, B, and C, as well as possession of extreme pornography. The doctor, who had been practising in orthopaedic surgery at Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny before his arrest, expressed shock upon learning about the content on his old laptop.
In his defence, Dr. Al-Mobayed reiterated that he had no knowledge of how the images ended up on his device and reiterated that he was not responsible for their presence. The case highlighted the challenges of proving ownership of content on shared devices within a workplace setting and raised questions about the security of personal data in communal spaces.
Overall, the trial brought to light the complexities surrounding the storage and access to digital content, underscoring the importance of maintaining vigilance over personal devices and data security in professional environments. The acquittal of Dr. Raed Al-Mobayed concluded a legal battle that shed light on the intricacies of digital forensics and the need for thorough investigation in cases involving sensitive material.