A VET has been struck off after being found convicted of having almost two dozen images of people having sex with a dog.

Dr Walter Dingemanse, 35, was handed an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years at Oxford Crown Court in September 2021 after he was also caught with a range of indecent images of children.

Police raided his home in Streatley in February 2019 after a tip-off that he’d been swapping sick messages on the Kik app, boasting of sexually abusing a girl and saying he wanted to set up a group for ‘pervy dads’ between November 2017 and April 2018.

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More than four months after his sentencing, on February 15, Dingemanse, was the subject of a disciplinary hearing held by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

In a desperate testimony, Dingemanse wrote a letter to the RCVS pleading with them to let him carry on treating animals.

He said: “I am not sexually attracted to children or to animals.

“Nobody could punish me more than I already am myself, having lost everything, my dreams, my job, my relationship, and I realise I brought this on myself.

“It is important that you know, that the person from 3-4 years ago is not the person I am today. I would like nothing more than to be able to continue that, and to continue working in the professional field that is my passion."

Dingemanse, who practised as a vet at an unknown surgery in Berkshire, added: “Most importantly for the RCVS, what has happened has never affected my professional life in any way shape or form. Throughout this difficult point in my life, I have undertaken my job diligently, effectively, and behaved honestly in my practice. I hope to be able to put this behind me and continue to do so.”

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But the RCVS found Dingemanse had breached Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons on two occasions by failing to ensure the protection of public health and animal health and welfare and by engaging in activity or behaviour that would be likely to bring the profession into disrepute.

The RCVS also deemed Dingemanse’s conduct to be ‘very serious and deplorable conduct on the part of a Veterinary Surgeon, a member of a profession specifically entrusted to look after and care for animals.’

This led to the decision render him unfit to practise as a veterinary surgeon.

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In light of this, Dingemanse was struck off from the RCVS register.

A decision statement read: “The Committee determined that it was important that a clear message be sent that this sort of behaviour is wholly unacceptable and not to be tolerated. It brought discredit upon Dr Dingemanse and discredit upon the profession.”