Stuart James King: SCGH sleep scientist jailed for 5.5 years for accessing intimate videos of 12 patients

A Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital sleep scientist — who accessed intimate footage of his female patients undressing because he was “addicted to pornography” — has been sentenced to 5½ years behind bars. Stuart James King was initially charged with 26 counts of unlawful use of a computer with intent to benefit. He subsequently pleaded guilty to 12 charged in June, after 14 charges were dropped. Sentencing King in the District Court on Friday, Judge Charlotte Wallace said it was “absurd” that the victims were filmed getting changed and questioned why the hospital had installed video cameras in rooms where patients were getting dressed and undressed. “There is no therapeutic need for these recordings to exist,” she said. “This has unearthed a very, very serious concern.” The court was told that between August 2019 and August 2020, King accessed the hospital’s computer system to obtain video footage of 12 female patients undressing and redressing before and after their sleep studies. The women were filmed removing and changing their pants, underwear and bras, exposing their breasts. In one video, a woman was filmed drying herself after a shower and applying lotion to her naked body. Police executed a search warrant of King’s Marangaroo home in January after being tipped off by his wife. They searched the property for his laptop. The laptop, which contained the footage, was not found. King later admitted that he had hidden it in a filing cabinet next to his office at SCGH. Judge Wallace said King had violated his victims, who were already in a vulnerable position because they were suffering sleep issues. “This is a very serious example (of someone) gaining benefit of accessing a restricted computer at work,” she said. “As a result, he has violated the bodily autonomy of these woman and their right to privacy. “The women are extremely vulnerable and he knows that because he’s involved with them in a therapeutic context.” Defence lawyer Ashley Watson said that his client was voyeuristic and had been addicted to porn since he was a teenager, adding that he was ashamed and “deeply embarrassed”. He said King had since separated from his wife and had lost contact with his two young children. “He acknowledges his selfish actions have harmed a lot of people,” he said. “This is a man who has lost greatly ... from his own selfish behaviour.” Judge Wallace said King was only remorseful because he had been caught and described the offending as “planned and premeditated”. She said his victims had experienced ongoing psychological distress, with some losing trust in the hospital system and refusing treatment from male health professionals. “You’ve clearly demonstrated a complete utter disregard to (your patients’) bodily autonomy, as well as their right to receive treatment in a medical setting,” she said. “You have caused immeasurable harm.” King will become eligible for parole in August 2028. He has also pleaded guilty to three separate charges of using an optical surveillance device to record a private activity to which not a party, indecent acts in public and stalking. He is due to be sentenced on December 19.