Disgraced paediatrician pleads guilty, imprisoned over possession of child abuse images

A Queensland paediatrician who treated child victims of sexual abuse has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to possessing more than 2,000 child abuse and exploitation images.

Tom Sun Yap pleaded guilty in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday to possessing more than 2,000 child abuse and exploitation images. Picture: Patrick Woods.

A disgraced Sunshine Coast paediatrician who treated child victims of sexual abuse has been jailed after pleading guilty to possessing more than 2,000 child abuse and exploitation images. Tom Sun Yap, 44, faced the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday after police uncovered thousands of child abuse material at his home, which he had collected while working as paediatrician at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

Mr Yap held no criminal history and co-operated with police when they searched his Birtinya home last May.

The court heard that for years while Mr Yap was still practising as a doctor, he accessed and sometimes transferred the sexual abuse material of young girls aged between 4-16 across various personal devices.

Police found 2,046 child abuse and child exploitation images on a USB stick, Mr Yap’s iphone and saved under his email account.

The content of the images is too disturbing to report, but included horrific acts of abuse between children and by adults to children.

Tom Sun Yap, 44, has pleaded guilty in court. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Mr Yap also chose, at one point between June 2017 and May 2022, to print out some of the images and keep a collection of them in an envelope in his closet.

While Mr Yap is no longer a registered paediatrician, the court heard he told police during an interview that he was involved in the forensic examination of children who had sighted sexual abuse and had gone as far as assisting police in catching perpetrators.

Crown prosecutor Matthew Thompson told the court Mr Yap has put his access of the material down to “curiosity” and had denied any sexual arousal.

He dismissed Mr Yap’s previous claims that he initially “didn’t recognise” the harm being done to the children in the material.

“Because of his particular knowledge as to the harm that sexual abuse can cause children, is such that he could be under no illusion of what he was accessing,” Mr Thompson said.

Mr Yap pleaded guilty to six offences including using a carriage service to transmit child pornography material, possessing child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage and possessing child exploitation material.

Defence barrister Ben Power KC said Mr Yap had experienced deep shame when revealing his crimes to his family in Malaysia.

His sister sat in support of him in the back of the courtroom during his sentencing on Thursday.

The court heard Mr Yap had also since been diagnosed and is being treated for a major depressive disorder.

Mr Power told the court Mr Yap had told his psychiatrist he chanced upon the child abuse material while searching through adult pornography.

Disgraced Sunshine Coast paediatrician, Tom Sun Yap, 44, who treated child victims of sexual abuse has been imprisoned after pleading guilty in the Brisbane Magistrates Court to possessing more than 2,000 child abuse and exploitation images. Picture: Patrick Woods

When delivering her sentencing remarks, Judge Vicki Loury KC said Mr Yap had expressed remorse and shame to his family, psychiatrist and friends.

“What has particularly concerned you is the impact your offending has had on your family‘s reputation and that you have let down the medical profession and your patients,” Judge Loury said.

“Your commission of these offences means that you have lost your career which no doubt is part of your identity. You have dedicated your life to being a paediatrician.”

Judge Loury acknowledged Mr Yap’s serious mental health condition and the public humiliation he endured when his offending was reported on by the media and shared throughout local Facebook groups.

“The material you accessed and downloaded was depraved and involve the corruption of innocent children, some of whom were very tender ages,” she said.

“And frankly, it is breathtaking that a man in such a position did not turn his mind to the harm that these children are subjected to.”

Mr Yap was sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment.

He must serve at least four months after which he will be subject to a two-year supervised probation order and five-year good behaviour bond.