Plastic surgeon Richard Sackelariou jailed for grooming underage girls in Newcastle, Sydney and Melbourne

In an “extraordinary fall from grace”, a court has heard how a once-prominent Sydney plastic surgeon paid money to underage girls to meet up with them and perform sexual acts. He has now learned his fate.

Former Sydney plastic surgeon Richard Sackelariou has been jailed at Newcastle District Court on Friday. Supplied Amy Ziniak

In an “extraordinary fall from grace”, a once-prominent Sydney plastic surgeon who groomed underage girls and paid them to perform sexual acts on him, will spend at least another year-and-a-half behind bars after being sentenced to jail on Friday.

Dr Richard Paris Sackelariou, 70, of Vaucluse – a veteran surgeon of 40 years who had practices in Sydney and Melbourne – engaged with six young victims between September 2021 and October 2022 at various locations across Sydney, Newcastle and Queensland.

The court heard the Double Bay surgeon would contact the girls, aged 13 to 15, through various social platforms including Snapchat, Instagram, imessages and an adult dating website seeking arrangements, as well as sugar daddy websites.

He would then offer to pay them money for naked photos and videos before eventually asking them to meet up at hotel rooms and perform sexual acts.

The now disgraced surgeon pleaded guilty to 10 charges, including using a carriage services to procure someone under the age of 16 for sexual activity, cause child between 14 and 18 to do an act of child prostitution, attempt to cause a child to do an act of child prostitution, possession of child abuse material, cause a child 14 and over to make child abuse material and possession or control of child abuse material using a carriage service.

In Newcastle District Court on Friday, Judge Tim Gartelmann noted there was no evidence he had used force or coercion but committed multiple offences over a period of about a year.

Dr Sackelariou has been jailed for grooming underage girls.

Prestigious offices where Dr Sackelariou worked on Chapel Court Double Bay, Sydney.

He said the 70-year-old had persisted with the victims even though he had found out they were underage and it was vital he was made accountable for the harm he had caused for his “discreet acts”.

The court also heard it is likely the disgraced doctor will have registration of his medical license suspended following his convictions, but that he risked this when committing the offences.

The specialist plastic surgeon said he was “ashamed” for his offences against young girls.

Sackelariou was jailed for six years with a non-parole period of four years, which means with time served he would be eligible for release in November next year.

In court it was heard the Double Bay surgeon travelled to the Hunter Region on multiple occasions after arranging to meet up with three of the victims on Snapchat at Novotel Newcastle.

It was revealed one of the girls gave him oral sex in his hotel room.

It was also detailed in court how Sackelariou groomed a 15-year-old girl from Sydney online before he begged her to meet up and offered to pay her $1000 for sex.

When she said no, he offered her $3500 for a 30-minute meeting before the pair arranged to meet up at the Chatswood Quest apartments where he gave her repeated compliments about her body before he engaged in numerous sexual acts.

The court also heard Sackelariou met up with a 15-year-old girl in Queensland on two occasions at a park and a McDonalds after promising her money.

Sackelariou previously gave evidence he was “ashamed” and “appalled” at his actions and the psychological damage he had caused with his victims.

Defence barrister Philip Strickland said in court it was an “extraordinary fall from grace” for his client.

Originally published as Plastic surgeon Richard Sackelariou jailed for grooming underage girls in Newcastle, Sydney and Melbourne