**Senior Welsh Nurse Struck Off for Sharing Images of Child Abuse**
A senior hospital nurse in Wales has been struck off after being found guilty of distributing highly disturbing images of child abuse, including those involving a ‘small baby’. Daniel Spence, 39, whose career as a registered nurse began in 2017, was employed primarily in adult surgical care at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend. His conduct has sent shockwaves through the medical community, raising serious questions about safeguarding and vetting in sensitive roles within the National Health Service.
Spence, living in Tylorstown, Rhondda Cynon Taf, reached the level of band five nurse, which typically commands a salary of around £37,000 per year. Employed at the time through the Next Step Nursing agency, Spence had built a seemingly unblemished professional record until last year’s police investigation revealed a disturbing double life. Officers arrested him at his home in July 2023 after uncovering evidence that he had been sharing highly illegal material online.
The full extent of Spence’s crimes became clear upon examination of the digital evidence. In March 2024, he appeared at Cardiff Crown Court and admitted to distributing 74 indecent images and videos classified as Category A – the most serious category of child sexual abuse materials under UK law. He also pleaded guilty to possessing a further 125 images and videos in the same category, in addition to material categorised as less severe, yet still illegal. Shockingly, Spence confessed to possessing 21 extreme images depicting acts with animals.
Prosecutors revealed that some of the material distributed by Spence depicted the most severe abuse, including scenes involving very young children in acute distress and pain. Among the most harrowing was evidence of the abuse of a ‘small baby’. The revelations have provoked widespread condemnation and concern, especially given Spence’s position as a trusted care provider.
Rather than immediate imprisonment, Spence was handed a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years, along with 35 days of mandated rehabilitation activity and a requirement to undertake 150 hours of unpaid work. He is also subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which restricts his contact with children, and was ordered to pay a £187 victim services surcharge. The lack of an immediate custodial sentence has fuelled debate regarding sentencing practices in such severe cases.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council, the body overseeing professional standards among nurses and midwives, convened a panel to consider Spence’s future in the profession. The panel ultimately issued a striking-off order, declaring that his actions constituted ‘grave criminal conduct’ and fell ‘far below the standard expected of a registered nurse’. The council’s intervention underscores a commitment to public safety and the preservation of trust in the health professions.
Vicki Wells, chair of the disciplinary panel, commented: “Whilst these offences were committed in Mr Spence’s private life, the fact remains that as a registered nurse, he may come into contact with children during his professional duties. Sharing multiple images of the most serious kind, on numerous occasions, is conduct utterly incompatible with the standards required.” She further remarked that although Spence had expressed remorse, there was no substantial evidence that he had addressed the underlying issues behind his offending.
The panel concluded that Spence had not demonstrated adequate insight into his actions and continued to pose a risk to children. Their decision to strike him off was described as a necessary measure to signal the high standards maintained within the profession and to protect vulnerable members of the public from harm.
The revelations and subsequent disciplinary action have led to renewed calls for rigorous safeguarding measures within healthcare settings, where even a small lapse in oversight can have devastating consequences. Members of the public and professionals alike are being urged to remain vigilant and to report any concerns around exploitation or safeguarding without delay.
This case serves as a grave reminder of the responsibilities carried by those in positions of trust within the NHS, and of the severe consequences when those responsibilities are betrayed. The health service and regulatory bodies are expected to continue reviewing their procedures to prevent such serious breaches in the future.