Brisbane mental health nurse Matthew Nickerson, 27, reprimanded for professional misconduct over explicit videos
A Brisbane clinical nurse has been reprimanded for professional misconduct after sending a female friend 26 explicit videos and photographs of himself over an eight-day period. Warning: Graphic
A mental health nurse has been reprimanded for professional misconduct involving inappropriate messages sent to a female friend during his own mental health crisis.
Over about eight days in August 2023 Matthew Nickerson, 27, a clinical nurse at a Brisbane hospital service, sent the woman 26 videos and photographs of himself masturbating or showing his erect penis, a tribunal heard.
He also attempted to contact her on five occasions on a single day as he wanted to hear her voice as he masturbated and he sent her over 70 messages in which he described various sexual activities that he wanted to engage in with her.
The woman did not permit any of this conduct, nor did she respond, the tribunal heard.
For a short period prior to his impugned conduct, the two had engaged in mutual sexualised conversations via Snapchat, including sending indecent images to each other.
But on August 15 2023 Nickerson advised the woman he’d broken up with his partner and then escalated the conversation and immediately started sending multiple videos and photographs of his erect penis, the tribunal heard.
This made her feel uncomfortable, and she told Nickerson to stop.
She reported the matter to police and blocked him
He voluntarily attended a police station and made full admission stating he didn’t know why he did it but knew it was wrong.
He was charged with one count of stalking, which he later pleaded guilty to and was sentenced to two years’ probation with no conviction recorded.
He was suspended with pay from work for six months from mid March 2024.
The Health Ombudsman brought Nickerson to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal for disciplinary proceedings.
It heard that at the time he had recently separated from his long term partner, was drinking excessively and suffering a number of mental health impacts due to work.
The tribunal said his unwanted conduct towards the woman “would have caused her real distress”.
“He acknowledges that his behaviour has caused harm to his former friend, which he deeply regrets,” the tribunal decision published this week said.
“(He) has shown very significant insight into the nature of his conduct, and has expressed remorse at the earliest possible time to the police, at the time of his sentence, and in his lengthy submission to the tribunal.”
Nickerson was getting treatment from a psychologist and was back at work where he was said to be “trustworthy, dedicated, self-reflective and motivated”.
The tribunal declared his behaviour to be professional misconduct and ordered he be officially reprimanded.
