A Dundee dentist has avoided being struck off after illicitly posting intimate photos of his ex-girlfriend on a swinger’s website.
Dominic Fletcher, 26, was rumbled after a friend found the compromising images on the adult website.
He was convicted at Dundee Sheriff Court in August 2022 and lost an appeal earlier this year.
The General Dental Council (GDC) has now suspended Fletcher for three months following its own investigation but stopped short of erasing him from the register altogether, saying to do so might “deprive the public of a promising dentist”.
Fletcher, who graduated from Dundee University dental school in 2020, was convicted in August 2022 at the city’s sheriff court of sharing the explicit images.
He had argued he tried to obscure them by “photo-editing” the woman’s eyes.
He said he had used them on the FabSwingers site to make him seem more attractive.
It was accepted by Sheriff Principal Aisha Anwar there was no intent to humiliate his victim but he had tried to gain personally by breaching her trust.
Non-erasure explained
In its hearing judgement, the GDC acknowledged Fletcher told them of his deep regret.
“You stated that you have reflected on your past behaviour and you now understand that your actions were motivated by selfishness and self-gratification and you also understand the impact it has had on the complainer and also on the public and the reputation of the dental profession.”
They added: “Having determined that a period of suspended registration is the appropriate and proportionate outcome, the committee determined that the higher, and ultimate, sanction of erasure would not be consistent with the committee’s findings.
“The committee considers that the reasonable and informed observer would not be dismayed were your name not erased and that a direction of erasure is not needed to secure the public interest requirements that have been identified.
“The Committee is not satisfied that you currently have a harmful deep-seated personality or professional attitudinal problem which might make erasure the appropriate sanction.
“A sanction of erasure would potentially deprive the public of the services of a promising dentist.”
Circumstances
As part of his unsuccessful appeal, the details of the circumstances of Fletcher’s conviction were published by Sheriff Principal Aisha Anwar.
She said: “During their relationship, they (Fletcher and his victim) took explicit and intimate photographs of each other naked and participating in sexual acts.
“These images and videos were for their own private use.
“The appellant had a user profile on FabSwingers.com, an adult content website designed to facilitate sexual encounters between users.
“Users can upload explicit images and videos to their account profile.
“Users have some access to materials uploaded by other users and can gain increased access to images by being added as ‘friends’.”
She said the complainer’s friend had a user profile on the website and received a “friend request” from Fletcher which she accepted.
She recognised her friend, the complainer, in images and took screenshots before telling her.
Sheriff Principal Anwar said: “The complainer was distressed and upset.”
She contacted Fletcher and her removed the images but she also called police.
Fletcher, of Dundee, was convicted on August 5 2022, of disclosing photographs which showed the complainer in an intimate situation without her consent by uploading them to on December 19 2021.
He was sentenced to 12 months supervision, fined £500 and ordered to carry out 180 hours unpaid work.
A spokesperson for the GDC said they would not comment on individual investigations.
