Telmo Ribeiro

Telmo Ribeiro, a 38-year-old nurse employed at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, exploited his position of trust to commit sexual assaults against a vulnerable adult female patient in the hospital's neurology ward. The offences occurred in 2020, during which Ribeiro sexually touched the victim on two separate occasions while she was receiving medical care.

The investigation began following Ribeiro's arrest in 2020, prompted by reports of the assaults. During the examination of his phone, police discovered images of medical records, including photographs of computer screens displaying patient information and paper documents. These findings led to additional charges against Ribeiro for three counts of computer misuse and one count of a data protection offence, to which he pleaded guilty during the trial.

Despite denying the sexual assault charges initially, Ribeiro was found guilty by a jury at Leicester Crown Court in October 2025 after a lengthy trial. The case was built on a complex five-year investigation conducted by Leicestershire Police, in close collaboration with the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. Ribeiro, residing at Watkin Road in Leicester, was not charged until May 2022, reflecting the thorough nature of the probe.

On Friday, 5 December 2025, Ribeiro was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court to two years' imprisonment for the two counts of sexual assault. In addition to the custodial sentence, he was subjected to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and required to register as a sex offender for 10 years. The court proceedings highlighted the severity of Ribeiro's abuse of authority, as he had been suspended by the NHS Trust in 2020 and subsequently dismissed.

Detective Constable James Moxon, the lead officer in the case, described Ribeiro's actions as 'truly shocking' and emphasised the victim's courage in coming forward. 'Ribeiro was in a trusted position and abused this trust in the most horrendous way. His actions are truly shocking, and my thoughts are with the victim of these crimes,' Moxon stated. Chief Nurse Julie Hogg from the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust condemned the offences, noting that 'patients should always feel safe, protected and respected in our care, and Ribeiro grossly abused his position of trust.' The conviction underscores the tireless efforts of law enforcement to hold perpetrators accountable, even in protracted investigations.