Sunshine Coast doctor Tom Sun Yap varies bail on child abuse material charges

A Sunshine Coast doctor arrested by police in a child abuse material sting will be living in a swanky Sydney suburb during the case as he appears in court.

A Birtinya consultant paediatrician has appeared in court on child abuse material charges to have his bail varied to live in an affluent Sydney suburb.

Tom Sun Yap was arrested following an Australian Federal Police investigation in May, 2022 after a tip off from the United States’ National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about an online user uploading child abuse material using Yahoo and Google accounts.

Australian Federal Police investigators in Brisbane allegedly linked Mr Yap to the associated accounts.

A raid on his Birtinya home on May 18, 2022 led to investigators seizing a laptop, mobile phone, USB and printed images to be forensically examined.

Mr Yap was charged and had his matters first heard in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on June 24, 2022 and was later adjourned to Tuesday, August 16, 2022 for a bail variation.

The Sunshine Coast doctor appeared in court on the Commonwealth charges on Tuesday when his lawyer Mark Sabic asked for his bail to be varied so he could live in South Coogee in Sydney.

Tom Sun Yap leaves Maroochydore Magistrates Court. Picture: Patrick Woods.

The Commonwealth did not oppose the variation and it was granted by Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist.

Mr Stjernqvist then queried the time limit for the brief of evidence, with the court hearing investigators still needed to forensically examine Mr Yap’s iPhone and Apple laptop.

His matters were adjourned to September 23, 2022.

Mr Yap faces charges of using a carriage service to transmit child pornography material, possessing child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage and possessing child exploitation material.

According to LinkedIn Mr Yap had been working as a consultant paediatrician at the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service for more than seven years.

A health service spokeswoman confirmed Mr Yap had been suspended from practising by their health service and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.

In a statement released by the Health Ombudsman Mr Yap’s registration as a medical practitioner was suspended on June 15, 2022.