Former doctor in court accused of committing sexual offences against 38 patients
A former doctor from Birmingham, who worked the Royal Stoke University Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent and Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, has appeared in court
Last updated 6 hours ago
A former doctor has appeared in court charged with 45 sexual offences alleged to have been committed against 38 women and girls between 2017 and 2021.
Nathaniel Spencer, 38, was charged in December last year following what Staffordshire Police described as a complex investigation into alleged sexual assaults on patients at the Royal Stoke University Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent and Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley.
Spencer, from Hockley, Birmingham, spoke only to confirm his name and was not required to enter pleas during a 45-minute appearance at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Monday.
He was told he will face trial on a date to be fixed and at a location that has yet to be determined.
The charges against Spencer are made up of 15 counts of sexual assault, 17 counts of assault by penetration, nine counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, three counts of assaulting a child under 13 by penetration and one count of attempted assault by penetration.
Spencer, a former resident doctor with The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, made his first court appearance at North Staffordshire Justice Centre in January.
Renewing Spencer’s conditional bail at his Crown Court hearing, the Recorder of Stoke-on-Trent, Judge Sally Hancox told the court it was not practical for the trial in the case to take place in the city.
Adjourning the case until a further pre-trial hearing at the same court later this year, the judge said she had spoken with those in charge of the Midlands court circuit in seeking a suitable location for Spencer’s trial.
The judge told Spencer: “There will be a further hearing in this case – that will not be before Monday May 11th – when further directions will be set.
“At the next hearing further consideration will be given to the location, timing and timetable of the trial, and if necessary arraignment will take place.”