Murray Govan struck off medical register after child porn charges

Coffs Harbour’s Murray Govan has been released from jail, but won’t be practising medicine any time soon. Here’s why.

Coffs Harbour doctor Murray Govan has been struck off as a medical practitioner after being jailed for a number of offences, including attempt to procure a child, being a fictitious child aged 11 years, for unlawful sexual activity.

A former Coffs Harbour doctor recently released from jail where he was serving time for child pornography charges has been deregistered as a medical practitioner.

The decision of the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal to cancel the registration of Murray Govan includes a non-review period of five years.

Govan was charged with using a carriage service to transmit child pornography, possession of child abuse material and attempt to procure a child (a fictitious 11-year-old) in 2019.

In the criminal proceedings, Govan believed he was chatting with the mother of an 11-year-old girl - but it was a police officer at the other end of the line.

After entering a plea of guilty to each of the three charges in the district court in 2020, Govan was sentenced to a total term of four years and six months imprisonment, with a non-parole period of two years and nine months.

Govan was released on parole on January 9.

Murray Govan also worked with the Intensive Care Unit at the Coffs Harbour Health Campus.

In addition to citing the three criminal charges, the Health Care Complaints Commission brought the case against Govan for failing to notify the national board that he had been charged with the offences.

In December, the tribunal found all of the complaints proven.

Govan obtained a degree in medicine in 1993 from the University of Otago, New Zealand. He went on to work as a surgical registrar and house surgeon at Dunedin and Invercargill hospitals, before migrating to Australia in 2001.

He worked at a skin cancer clinic in Coffs Harbour, and obtained a position as a senior career medical officer at Coffs Harbour Base Hospital.

In 2007 Govan obtained a Master’s Degree in medicine from the University of Queensland, and in 2008 established his own skin cancer clinic in Coffs Harbour, which he owned and ran until 2018.

The skin cancer clinic treated thousands of patients, and Govan was responsible for 10 staff, and provided training for local general practitioners.

Govan also worked as a career medical officer with the Intensive Care Unit, Coffs Harbour Health Campus.

Testimonials tendered on his behalf in the criminal sentencing proceedings gave light to his reputation for clinical ability and dedication to his profession.

It is unclear whether Govan is an Australian citizen.

An Australian Border Force spokesperson said: “A non-citizen’s visa must be cancelled if they are serving a full-time term of imprisonment for an offence committed in Australia and they have, at any time, been sentenced to a period of 12 months or more imprisonment.

“Non-citizens who do not hold a valid visa will be liable for detention and removal from Australia.”