Douglas William McCarthy: Doctor accused of paying teens for sex over years in case of ‘disturbing depravity’

A doctor allegedly filmed himself sexually abusing teenage girls for years, paying $1300 to rob one of her virginity in a case so shocking the jury was warned to brace for the “graphic” material they will have to watch. Douglas William McCarthy is fighting 15 charges at his District Court trial, including multiple counts of sexually penetrating a child over 13 and under 16. Prosecutor Sean Stocks said in his opening address on Tuesday that it was “a disturbing account of depravity” and a “sordid tale” involving eight complainants mainly aged 14 and 15. He said the jury would unfortunately have to view explicit material proving “the stealing of their childhood” — including videos of the 63-year-old having sex with multiple victims. Mr Stocks warned that his summary of the case “doesn’t come close . . . to how graphic the material is”. The State alleges that the GP plied the girls with alcohol and drugs including cannabis, nitrous oxide and prescription medications labelled with other people’s names, at “sessions” at his waterfront homes in Perth’s southern suburbs. He began by paying them to send him nude photographs of themselves, then talked them into sexual activity, starting out on his massage table then progressing into his bed, Mr Stocks said. When he badgered them for intercourse, some of them said no but “he did it anyway”, the prosecutor said. He never used a condom and gave a number of the children medication to treat the chlamydia that he “gave or might have given them”, Mr Stocks said. The doctor allegedly “invited them to call him a good boy” during sex and was heard in videos proclaiming “I’m in heaven” and “fantastic”. In one, he could be seen naked in a mirror reflection behind two teens, Mr Stocks said. The crimes involved sex toys, a “sexy nurse” outfit and even an inflatable spa, he said. The inducements were not just cash but also gifts, including a pet that could only be sourced interstate, with the animal’s cost deducted from the victim’s payment for their next sexual encounter, the prosecutor said. He would even invite teens along when he was rostered to work in the South West and continued the abuse, Mr Stocks said. It is alleged that a text exchange showed he knew at least one of the complainants was underaged, telling her she “smoked wayyy (sic) too much weed for a 15-year-old girl”. In another text, he used the term “sugar baby hotline”, Mr Stocks said. After police pounced and seized his electronic devices, he allegedly started paying and offering thousands of dollars to some of the teens “to keep quiet or at least say they were 16”, the prosecutor said. “He was asking them to engage in a cover-up,” Mr Stocks said, alleging the GP then agreed to pay a 17-year-old $8000 for multiple sexual encounters. It is illegal in WA to encourage a person under 18 to engage in prostitution. Defence counsel Wayne Burg reminded the jury that accused must have the presumption of innocence and the burden of proof was on the prosecution. “It’s not enough for them to present a plausible theory,” Mr Burg said. “If you have a reasonable doubt, you must find him not guilty. “The defendant does not have to prove his innocence, he doesn’t have to present any evidence at all.” The trial is expected to run for several weeks. 1800 RESPECT Kid’s Helpline 1800 55 1800

Douglas William McCarthy: Doctor accused of paying teens for sex over years in case of ‘disturbing depravity’

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