Top Adelaide cardiologist Andrew McGavigan jailed for abhorrent child sex crimes

A leading cardiologist has been jailed for downloading sickening child abuse material – and asking sex workers in Thailand to procure a young girl.

Prominent South Australian cardiologist Andrew McGavigan has been jailed for downloading “deviant, distressing and disturbing” child abuse material.

The 49-year-old from Hawthorn was sentenced to three years and four months in jail for accessing and possessing more than 9000 files of predominantly child abuse material, and engaging in “lurid” online discussions with Thai-based sex workers about accessing children for sexual activity.

In sentencing, District Court Judge Julie McIntyre said when someone of McGavigan’s standing descended into such abhorrent behaviour, it was “so much harder to understand”.

“On the face of things you led a charmed and privileged life,” she said.

“Why would a successful family man who devoted his life to medicine seek out this particularly abhorrent material?”

Cardiologist Andrew Douglas McGavigan (right) and his wife Jay arrive at the Adelaide Magistrates Court on August 16. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

She said McGavigan downloaded the material to a storage application on his Apple iPhone X on five different occasions, over a 17-day period from the September 22 to October 9 last year.

Of those files, which she said were uploaded as a batch, police were able to access more than 4000 files they described as predominantly and “particularly explicit and abhorrent” child abuse material. The material depicted very young children in obvious fear and distress.

“The material I saw was deviant, distressing and disturbing,” Judge McIntyre said.

She said it was the “vilest form of abuse” which causes “severe physical and psychological trauma” to the victims depicted.

“By accessing and possessing this material you encouraged and added to the abuse of these unfortunate children,” Judge McIntyre said.

She said the crime was not victimless, and created a market for the continued corruption and exploitation of children internationally.

Judge McIntyre said the online communications with Thai sex workers, via the applications Skype and Line, were “persistent” as well as “explicit and offensive” and involved asking another person to role play as a young girl and to source a young girl for sexual activity.

McGavigan was director of cardiac electrophysiology and pacing for the Southern Area Local Health Care Network and has authored more than 50 clinical papers, reviews and book chapters.

Andrew McGavigan leaves court after an earlier hearing. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

He worked at Flinders Medical Centre and Flinders University as well as managing a private practice. He was a member of multiple national and international boards.

“Until these offences came to light, you were highly respected for both your professional skill and your contribution in a number of non-clinical areas,” Judge McIntyre said.

McGavigan has now lost many of those positions and his registration as a medical practitioner has been suspended by the Australian Health Practitioner Authority.

At a pre-sentence hearing earlier this month, Heath Barklay SC, for McGavigan, said his client was emotionally attracted to the “taboo nature” of the material which was “fantasy driven”, rather than having a sexual attraction to children.

“Ultimately, your honour, the offending occurred in the context of untreated depression, overwork, sleep deprivation and significant work and personal stressors,” he said.

Judge McIntyre imposed a “lower than usual non-parole period” of 12 months for reasons including McGavigan’s demonstrated contrition and remorse, early guilty plea, prior good character including his contribution to medicine and community. She said he was very unlikely to reoffend.

McGavigan will be eligible for parole in August next year.