Dr. Nicholas Chapman has been struck off the medical register after putting his own semen into a colleague’s coffee. An expert has given insight into his warped ‘motive’
A perverted GP who was been struck off the medical register after putting semen in a woman’s coffee may have had a hidden sinister motive, according to an expert.
Dr. Nicholas Chapman, 57, will never work in the medical profession again after he was convicted of a sexual offence.
The twisted doctor, from Taunton, Somerset was handed a community order after being found guilty of filling “hundreds” of specimen samples, and on one occasion to have put his semen into the woman’s hot drink.
The victim, who remains anonymous to protect her identity, was a colleague of the former GP. She gave shocking testimony about drinking a “salty” tasting coffee, which saw her throw away further beverages he made her, only to notice a “thick gloopy” substance.
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The victim told the court: “I did not know what it was. I did not suspect it could have been semen at that point. He was then bringing me more drinks – probably one to three cups of coffee a week.
“Since that occasion, I tipped them away in the sink – seeing the sort of substance in the sink – it was different size and quantities each time. At least six times I’ve seen it – I’ve not drunk it since that first time.”
She added: “I remember the first time I saw stuff in the sink – he said, ‘Did you notice something in your drink? I noticed something in mine, he said. Maybe that was the first time he did it, and wanted to know if I’d noticed. It tasted salty.”
A year later, the victim came across Chapman’s vast collection of specimen pots, and became suspicious of what was going on.
Despite her fears that the perverted GP would notice what she was doing, she bravely got the sample to the police, and it tested positive for his semen.
“I felt very jumpy and worried he would catch me with this cup. I put the cup into a bag and dropped the sample off (to the police),” she described.
Chapman was then arrested when he arrived at work, and in 2023 he was convicted of one count of engaging in sexual activity without consent for making the victim “ingest his semen” on September 13, 2021.
A Medical Tribunal also heard of Chapman’s other acts of sexual harassment against another victim in his workplace, which included “unwanted and inappropriate behaviour” over an extended period of time.
The recent MPTS hearing found it proven that he had conducted ongoing sexual harassment against another woman, which “amounted to an abuse of [his] more senior position,” in the workplace.
Dr Ruth Tully, Consultant Forensic Psychologist, has exclusively told The Mirror what might be going on in the mind of someone commits such offences.
“This sort of sexual offending, especially in the context of prior sexual harassment, is likely to be driven by the perpetrator’s desire for power and control,” the expert says.
“While it may also have been sexually arousing in itself, covert offending of this nature can be exciting for the offender as it gives them some sense of superiority.
“It seems more likely that the offence was planned rather than impulsive, and a person being in such a responsible position in fact shows they have good planning and problem solving skills, which they would have needed to achieve their career status.
“Therefore this is unlikely to be a case of not thinking through the consequences of their actions, it is more likely carefully planned.”
Dr Tully, an expert in the field of sexual offending who routinely works with serious offenders, explains that when working with someone who had committed an offence like this, she “would want to explore the person’s personality; do they have narcissistic traits?
“Did other aspects of their life feel out of control and contribute to their decision to offend in such a controlling and covert way? What their attitudes towards women are, and how these attitudes developed would also be of importance to understand.”
Dr Tully adds that all of these factors are crucial in manage the “risk of reoffending” when it comes to someone who operates in a “covert” and planned out way.
She adds: “I would also want to explore their sexual history and preferences, especially pornography choices, as there could potentially also be a relevant sexually deviant interest that drove the offending. Exploring and understanding such factors will help those supervising the perpetrator manage his risk of reoffending.”
Chapman’s victim suspected that he committed the offence on multiple occasions, but he was only found guilty on one count by Gloucester Crown Court, because only one of the drinks had been tested.
However, Dr Tully explains why it is “entirely possible” someone like Chapman could be a repeat offender.
“While this might also seem like a one-off offence as there is one conviction, it is entirely possible that someone intelligent and motivated to offend in this covert way has offended before, and got away with it.”
During the criminal trial, the victim also alleged that Chapman had shown her photos of his “erect penis” on more than one occasion, “The second time I felt like it was on purpose. It made me feel very uncomfortable,” she said.
The expert forensic psychologist explained that Chapman’s behaviour and the “existing relationship” he had with his victim will likely cause the ordeal to leave a significant impact on her.
“Importantly this case highlights that people who sexually offend are not only strangers on the street – many offenders are known to their victims, and sadly violence against women and girls remains a huge problem.
“The victim in this case was betrayed by a colleague, which alongside what he did to her, will also be likely to have a big impact due to their existing relationship,” Dr Tully said.
In the trial, the victim said in her victim impact statement to the court, “I feel betrayed by him, by his actions. He has made me feel powerless.
“The devious and cowardly nature has shocked me. If this was a physical attack, I may have at least had a chance to defend myself. I’ve had to be open about this to my partner and family, but I often feel alone and that no one quite understands.
“I hope in the future I am able to put this all behind me and move on with my life. Though I have to accept that the mental and emotional trauma I have suffered throughout this will always remain with me in some way.”
Chapman denied the claims, instead alleging that the semen samples were due to a “secret” condition that saw him discharge semen during defecation, and that masturbating at work “had “nothing to do with pleasure – but a painful necessity.”
The judge who oversaw his criminal sentencing in 2023 said in response to his defence, “Your defence at trial was absurd and unnecessary. Your claims were implausible and contradictory. You told the police a ridiculous story of having semen on your hand and admitted to masturbating at work.
“You then shifted your story about testing for a medical condition. The truth is, you masturbated at work as you had a high sex drive. The impact on your career and personal life has been considerable. You have brought that on yourself.”
MPTS Chair, Mr Jonathan Storey, said that the perverted doctor’s behaviour was “unacceptable” that Chapman’s erasure from the medical register “was the only sanction that would mark the seriousness of his misconduct and conviction.”
Chapman was given a 10-year restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim, as well as a five-year notification order, and a 12-month community order.
If you’ve been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or by calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999
