Doctor gave woman cup of coffee mixed with his semen
Dr Nicholas Chapman denied the charges and claimed he had a rare condition that made him release semen while on the toilet
A GP has been found guilty of a sexual offence after giving a woman a coffee with his own semen in it.
Dr Nicholas Chapman, 55, from Taunton, Somerset, was accused of dropping multiple "specimen" samples into the victim's hot drinks on multiple occasions over a year.
After becoming suspicious of Chapman, the woman kept a sample of one drink he made.
She reported the incidents to the police in September 2021 and, when tested, the sample was confirmed as semen with a DNA match to the doctor.
She discovered a collection of "specimen pots" which belonged to Chapman.
In court, Chapman was questioned about two colleagues who said they had seen pictures of his erect penis on his phone.
The GP claimed it was by accident and he was "mortified".
Chapman was found guilt of one count of engaging in sexual activity without consent for making the victim "ingest his semen" on September 13, 2021.
But the jury at Gloucester Crown Court found him not guilty of the second count of the same charge allegedly committed between September 12, 2020 and September 12, 2021.
In his defence, the disgraced GP claimed someone else must have put his semen in the coffee as a prank.
He also alleged to have a rare condition that made him ejaculate every time he defecated.
There was nothing about this on his medical record but he claimed he had kept it secret.
He then went on to tell the jury that since 2013, he had been collecting samples while on the toilet at work on an "almost daily basis".
This was allegedly to collect samples to test for a condition.
Chapman was born in South Africa where he qualified as a doctor at the University of Cape Town in 1993.
He was previously described as a respected and experienced doctor.
The GP's sentencing has been adjourned until July 6 and he was released on conditional bail.
A jury today (Thursday 15 June) convicted Chapman of one count of attempting to engage in sexual activity without consent. He was acquitted of a second similar charge. Chapman was bailed ahead of his sentencing hearing on Thursday 6 July.
The woman, who cannot be named, told the court in a victim impact statement that: “I feel betrayed by him, by his actions. He has made me feel powerless. The devious and cowardly nature has shocked me. If this was a physical attack I may have at least had a chance to defend myself. I’ve had to be open about this to my partner and family, but I often feel alone and that no one quite understands.
“I hope in the future I am able to put this all behind me and move on with my life. Though I have to accept that the mental and emotional trauma I have suffered throughout this will always remain with me in some way.”
DS Rachel Walls, part of the investigation team, said: “I wish to praise the complainant in this case. She was very brave to report this to the police and enable us to carry out a thorough investigation. It has been long process and her victim personal statement goes some way to showing the effect of Dr Chapman’s crime.”
Officers kept the NHS Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group informed to ensure appropriate safeguarding measures were in place from the start of their enquiries.