Traralgon podiatrist Phillip Lawson had sex with patient, asked her for cupcakes
A married Traralgon podiatrist exploited a female patient for his own “sexual gratification”, initiating an exchange of almost 3000 often explicit SMS and social media messages. But the affair went awry after he told his wife about her.
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A Traralgon podiatrist exploited a female patient for his own sexual gratification and asked her to bake him treats, a Victoria Civil and Administrative Tribunal panel has found.
Phillip Lawson had sex with his victim while she attended therapeutic sessions at his practice, Traralgon Podiatry Clinic, in late 2016.
Lawson also sent his victim lewd messages, asked her to bake him cupcakes and dangled the lure of work over her head.
The Podiatry Board of Australia allegations that Lawson committed professional misconduct were found proven by the VCAT panel on February 5.
Lawson, a married man, sent his victim “personal and explicit messages” via SMS and social media.
The pair exchanged almost 3000 messages of a “personal nature” which contained “flirtation and sexually explicit” messages.
Lawson had sex with the woman after he had offered her a job at the practice.
The doctor also “encouraged” his victim to bake him cupcakes, the tribunal heard.
The victim was “distraught” after Lawson withdrew the job offer because he told his wife about the patient.
VCAT senior member Elizabeth Wentworth said Lawson initiated the “sexually explicit content” which included an “unsolicited and explicit” photo.
“Mr Lawson’s conduct was not only inappropriate in its own right but also, in our view, aggravated the potential harm involved in the personal and sexual relationship he was pursuing with (the victim),” she said.
“We also take the view that any patient will be vulnerable given the power imbalance inherent in the therapeutic relationship.
“His conduct is substantially below the standard reasonably expected of a registered health practitioner of an equivalent level of training or experience.
“In view of the frequency and variety of the boundary transgressions, we are also satisfied that the conduct falls within … the definition of professional misconduct.
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“Mr Lawson exploited the professional/patient relationship for his own sexual and personal gratification.”
“It may not have been predatory, but it was exploitative and a breach of one of the fundamental professional rules of conduct.”
The panel will take into account Lawson’s “obvious remorse”, his inexperience and youth at the time, and his lack of a professional colleague or mentor before deciding his penalty at a later date.