A prolific perverted doctor was jailed for 32 months on Friday, November 19, 2021, for spying on housemates, friends, colleagues and hacking the details of 2000 potential women victims.
Vinesh Godhania used a tiny pin-hole camera to secretly record women at his address having sex, showers and using the bathroom.
He covertly filmed doctors, nurses and the mother of a child patient at Basildon Hospital and a colleague at Scunthorpe -focusing on their breasts and bottoms.
The 33-year-old, from Norwich, also used key login hardware on NHS computers to access the email addresses and passwords for colleagues. He accessed victims’ iCloud accounts and downloaded naked selfies, sexual acts and private intimate conversations, St Albans Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Michael Roques said the offences were carried out between 2012 and 2020 when Godhania was a medical student and then a fully qualified doctor.
The cyber crime unit of the Easter Regional Special Operations Unit were alerted because he had been paying a daily fee of two dollars to the WELEAK – the data breach search engine – to obtain personal details. In all he had paid 522 dollars.
On 25 November last year the police raided his home and seized a tower, a computer and USB sticks.
“The defendant had been storing data on hundreds of different women. There were sexually explicit photos and videos along with email and social media account details and passwords,” said the prosecutor.
Mr Roques said the married doctor had used a pin hole camera in an electronic toothbrush to covertly film women housemates and visitors at addresses in Essex.
“He covertly filmed filmed others in his medical practise – colleagues: nurses and doctors, patients and the mother of a child patient he was treating as a doctor. He was focusing on breasts and bottoms.
“Upskirting videos were also recovered. It can be established that they were taken before 2019 when that became unlawful.”
The prosecutor said he plugged a USB into NHS Trust computers which followed key strokes. It enabled him to obtain email address and passwords for colleagues.
He had also accessed iCloud accounts of different victims. Downloads included naked selfies, sexual acts and private conversations. He also used covert and open source searches to compile profiles of potential targets.
The prosecution said there were 2,000 separate female potential targets. He said there were two separate digital files, one of 160 women and the other 140, containing more details of social media accounts, passwords, mothers’ maiden names and places of birth.
Godhania of Marlingsford Way, Norwich appeared for sentence having pleaded guilty to 7 charges of voyeurism and 8 of unauthorised access to computer material
When she learned that Godhania had filmed her one woman said: “He has had an enormous impact on my life. His wife is one of my best friends.”
Another said: “I no longer want to be seen as attractive. He has breached my human rights with regard to a private life.”
One woman said: “ I am shocked and upset as I thought we were friends. There was never anything romantic between us.”
The mother of the child he was treatinmg said: “I am relieved my children were not the focus. He appeared to concentre on my bottom and breasts. The incident will stay with me for a long time. As a doctor he has breached patient trust.”
A nurse said: “It is creepy and very strange to think someone has a file on me.”
Defending James Scobie QC said there was absolutely no suggesting of Godhania distributing the material. He said: “It is an isolated individual’s offending.
“The defendant stopped being a doctor in 2016 because he appreciated what breach of trust he was involved with. He found it very difficult to live with himself.”
He said: “It is highly unlikely he will be back before the courts. He has lost his career and it is inevitable he will be struck off. He has lost his dignity and self esteem and has been brought to his knees.”
Jailing him, Judge Richard Foster said he had been guilty of a gross breach of trust and multiple offending.
He said: “You came to the attention of the police through the repeated use of the WeLeak website. On 25 November last year a number of electronic items were seized and the horrific extent of your criminal conduct over many years was revealed.”
The judge said police officers had to show the material he collected to the victims, having a “devastating effect on their personal lives.”
He must register as a sex offender for life and abide by the terms of a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.
After the sentencing Detective Sergeant Ian Russell, from ERSOU’s cyber crime unit, said: “These were despicable actions by a man in a position of trust, and I’m really pleased he will now be facing time behind bars.
“I’d like to thank the victims for their bravery throughout this case. It’s thanks to their support and courage that Godhania has been jailed.
“This abhorrent behaviour is never acceptable and we will work hard to ensure that those who look to take advantage of others in this sickening way are identified and made to face the consequences of their actions.”
