Huw Glover

A Wolverhampton general practitioner, Huw Glover, aged 58 from Shropshire, has been sentenced for engaging in disturbing online conversations related to the sexual abuse of children. On 20 August 2019, Glover joined a social media group dedicated to individuals with interests in paedophilia and incest. Unbeknownst to him, one of the participants was an undercover police officer. During the chat, Glover, masquerading as a woman, shared his fantasies about child abuse and discussed the exchange of children as young as eight years old for sexual exploitation by adults.

The conversation escalated to Glover attempting to publish obscene articles, which led to his identification through police enquiries with the social media platform. On 3 September 2019, officers executed a warrant at his address and seized a Samsung phone. Although Glover had tried to delete the app prior to his arrest, sufficient data remained on the device to link him to the messages, including a fake profile photo he had used.

At Shrewsbury Crown Court, Glover was sentenced to a two-year community order for one count of attempting to publish an obscene article. The order includes 80 hours of unpaid work and 35 days of rehabilitation activities. This outcome means he avoided a custodial sentence despite the gravity of the offences. The case was prosecuted in the public interest, highlighting concerns over Glover's position as a GP with such fantasies.

Sarah Belshah from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) commented: 'Within these messages, Dr Glover discussed his innermost fantasies which related to the sexual abuse of young children. The idea of anyone with such fantasies practising as a GP is both abhorrent and extremely concerning. It was therefore in the public interest to prosecute this case and to overcome the many attempted efforts to defend it before, eventually, a guilty plea was entered.' The sentencing took place on 11 November 2023, as reported by local news sources covering the West Midlands region.