Ajith Moothedath Sethumadhavan
Introduction
Ajith Moothedath Sethumadhavan is a former registered nurse who worked in the NHS before being convicted of sexual offences against a child and removed from the professional register. He entered the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register as an adult nurse on 13 June 2016, held NMC PIN 16F0073O, and worked for Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust from April 2016, in West Yorkshire. Following a trial at Leeds Crown Court, a jury found him guilty on 31 October 2025 of assault of a girl under 13 by touching and of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity without penetration. He was sentenced that December, and an NMC panel struck him off the register in August 2026.
Background Information
Sethumadhavan was registered as a Registered Nurse, Sub part 1, Adult Nursing (Level 1), and worked at Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust from April 2016.
On 14 June 2021, the NMC received a referral from the Trust after a Local Authority Safeguarding Officer raised concerns that he had been accused of inappropriate touching of an 11-year-old girl two years earlier. The Trust said West Yorkshire Police were investigating.
On 5 February 2024, the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges against him: six counts of assault of a girl under 13 by touching under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, and one count of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity without penetration. The particulars alleged that between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2018, at Wakefield, he intentionally touched a girl under 13, namely a girl aged 10 or 11, and that the touching was sexual, and that he incited her to kiss him on the lips.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Adjudicated vs. alleged. The findings described here are regulatory findings made by a Nursing and Midwifery Council panel in a conviction case: the panel did not re-hear the underlying allegations but treated a certificate of conviction from Leeds Crown Court as conclusive proof under the NMC (Fitness to Practise) Rules 2004. The striking-off order is a regulatory sanction, not itself a criminal record, while the convictions behind it are matters of court record. Sethumadhavan denied the allegations before his trial, describing the case as fabricated.
In a statement dated 23 August 2021, Sethumadhavan wrote: “I say, I am completely innocent of these charges. I would not, nor could not do such a thing… I believe this is a fabricated case against me…”
After a trial at Leeds Crown Court, a jury found him guilty on 31 October 2025 of assault of a girl under 13 by touching (Sexual Offences Act 2003) and of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity without penetration. On 16 December 2025, he was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, with a Notification and Barring order until further order, a restraining order until further order, and a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Sentencing, Judge Belcher remarked: “But it is not, nor could it be in my judgment, seriously argued that this amounted to anything other than grooming this child…But equally there is no remorse shown, quite the contrary.”
Public Reaction and Consequences
Sethumadhavan did not attend the NMC’s Substantive Meeting, held virtually on 20 August 2026. The panel was satisfied that notice had been served, citing Royal Mail tracking showing delivery to his registered address on 7 July 2026, signed for. It also had regard to a case management form he sent the NMC on 13 February 2026, asking the regulator to remove him from the register and not proceed to a hearing.
Because the case concerned a conviction, the panel found the charge proved in its entirety on the basis of the certificate of conviction, which is conclusive proof under Rules 31(2) and (3). It found his fitness to practise currently impaired, concluding that the conviction breached the fundamental tenets of the nursing profession and brought its reputation into disrepute, and that he had not demonstrated insight or remorse.
The panel listed aggravating factors including “Predatory behaviour”, premeditated behaviour, abuse of a position of trust, and denial of the offences with no remorse or acceptance of his behaviour, and determined that there were no mitigating factors. It concluded that nothing short of a striking-off order would suffice and imposed one, with an 18-month interim suspension order to cover the appeal period. MedicWatch, which aggregates published regulator decisions, reported the outcome under a headline stating that an NMC panel had struck him off over child sexual offence convictions.
Current Status
Sethumadhavan is serving the five-year prison sentence imposed in December 2025. The striking-off order cannot take effect until the end of the 28-day appeal period; if no appeal is made, the 18-month interim suspension will be replaced by the striking-off order 28 days after he is sent the decision in writing. MedicWatch lists the outcome as erasure, struck off the register, and directs readers to check the official NMC register for his current registration status.
Impact on Their Career/Life
The striking-off order ended a nursing career that had begun with his registration in June 2016. The panel determined that his actions were significant departures from the standards expected of a registered nurse and fundamentally incompatible with remaining on the register, with no realistic prospect of him gaining insight after a period of suspension given his lack of remorse and efforts to minimise the allegations. It found that public confidence in the profession could not be maintained if he were not removed from the register.
In his February 2026 form, Sethumadhavan himself asked to be removed from the register, writing that he was “no longer looking forward to work with as a nurse anymore”. The panel had regard to that request for agreed removal but proceeded to a striking-off order, finding that the charges found proved raised fundamental questions about his professionalism. The Sexual Harm Prevention Order runs for 10 years; the Notification and Barring and restraining orders last until further order.
Sources
- MedicWatch, “NMC panel strikes off Ajith Sethumadhavan over child sexual offence convictions”, published 20 August 2026, updated 23 September 2026. source
- Nursing and Midwifery Council, “Fitness to Practise Committee, Substantive Meeting — Ajith Moothedath Sethumadhavan, determination and reasons”, 20 August 2026. source