Alex Cracknell

Legal

Young Aussie doctor arrested after alleged discovery of thousands of child abuse files

Young Aussie doctor arrested after alleged discovery of thousands of child abuse files

A young Australian doctor has been charged with multiple child abuse offences after police allegedly uncovered more than 5000 files of explicit material on his mobile phone.

Gregory John Couch, 37, was arrested at a home in Albury, on the New South Wales–Victoria border, at 6am on Tuesday following a joint investigation between state police and federal border authorities.

Detectives from the NSW Sex Crime Squad allege Couch’s phone was seized by Australian Border Force officers at Melbourne Airport in May. A forensic examination of the device allegedly revealed thousands of images and videos depicting child abuse.

Footage released by NSW Police shows Couch – dressed in track pants, a jacket and ugg boots – being led from the home by Strike Force detectives before being taken into custody.

He was later charged at Albury Police Station with three offences: possession of child abuse material, use of a carriage service to access child abuse material, and intentionally importing prohibited tier two goods.

Police have confirmed there is no suggestion at this stage that any of the offences involved patients, with authorities stressing that no alleged misconduct is linked to his clinical work.

Couch had recently been working as a locum orthopaedic registrar at Albury Wodonga Health (AWH), engaged through a third-party medical workforce agency. In a statement issued Wednesday, AWH confirmed the doctor is no longer employed by the service.

“We understand the seriousness of the charges and the matter is now before the courts,” the statement read. “AWH has no indication that any alleged misconduct occurred at our facilities or involved our patients or staff. All standard background checks, including Working with Children and police checks, were passed prior to his commencement.”

Originally from Sydney, Couch previously worked at Liverpool Hospital and had recently relocated to the Gold Coast. His social media presence includes photos from his wedding in 2021 and family images taken in the years prior.

Tragically, his twin brother Andrew – also a doctor – died suddenly in his sleep in 2017. That same year, Couch accepted Andrew’s posthumous Master of Medicine degree from the University of Sydney, surrounded by family. Memorial awards have since been established in Andrew's honour by both the university and the Australian & New Zealand College of Anaesthetists.

Couch remains before the courts and the investigation is ongoing.

Image: NSW Police Force

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