** UK paramedic struck off after conviction on child sex charges
UNITED KINGDOM NEWS
** A UK paramedic from Isle of Wight has lost his licence to practice after indecent photos of children were found on his phone and computer. The BBC (July 4) said Andrew Martindale, 61, apparently outed himself after a sting operation in which he chatted with an undercover police officer about a trip he was taking to abuse a 13-year-old girl. According to the news site, a subsequent search of his electronic devices revealed several illicit pictures of children. In June 2021, a plea deal saw him admit guilt in making an indecent photo of a child, resulting in a two year community order and 30 days rehab. He was also slapped with a sexual harm prevention order for five years. The Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service, meanwhile, which oversees paramedics,  said Martindale brought the profession into disrepute, violated the profession’s basic tenets, and quite possibly might reoffend in the future.
