Nurse who arranged sexual abuse of baby at home struck off

Thomas Harrison was jailed in October last year for trying to arrange for an infant to be brought to his home to be sexually abused.

He was an employee at Cornerstone Surgery in St Helens at the time.

Harrison, 30, of Streatham Avenue, Mossley Hill, Liverpool had sent messages in a bid to arrange for a man to bring a child to his house in July last year.

Harrison had expected them to attend his house on that date, but was instead met by officers from Merseyside Police and the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) who had been investigating him.

He was arrested and later charged with arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sexual offence.

No child was ever taken to the house or harmed.

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The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Fitness to Practise Committee deemed that Harrison's "fitness to practise is currently impaired by reason of his conviction".

The hearing stated that on July 25, 2020 Harrison "engaged online with an individual who he believed had a sexual interest in children".

Harrison "expressed an interest in abusing the four-month-old child of the individual he was messaging".

Two days later, on July 27, Harrison "arranged for the individual and his child to attend his home for the purpose of abusing the child" but was met instead by an undercover police officer who arrested him.

It was said Harrison "has failed to act with kindness and compassion placing his own desires above those of his intended victim" and that he had "brought the profession into disrepute" and had breached one of its "fundamental tenets".

The panel added that Harrison's actions were "fundamentally incompatible with being a registered professional" and that "only a striking off order" can be "sufficient to protect patients (and) maintain public confidence in the profession".

It was determined that "a fully informed member of the public would be appalled" by Harrison’s conviction.

The panel "agreed that the nature of Harrison’s conduct was difficult to remediate" and that "there is no evidence of any insight, remorse or remediation", adding, "in light of this, the panel was of the view that the risk of repetition remains".

Harrison was given a jail sentence at Liverpool Crown Court last year

Harrison was sentenced to two years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court in October 2020 and issued with a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). He was also made to sign on to the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

After his sentencing, Detective Constable Craig Doyle said: "Harrison has shown by his actions that he clearly poses a danger to children, and I am very pleased to say he is safely behind bars today.

“He will now spend time behind bars where he can no longer pose a risk, and I hope he uses that time to reflect on the seriousness of his offence and the impact it could have had on a victim, their family and the wider community.

“Harrison was caught thanks to the dedicated work of officers from Merseyside Police and NWROCU, and their proactive work has helped stop him before he could carry out his despicable intentions."