Nurse arrested over alleged grooming at Brighton hospital (From The Argus)
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Nurse arrested over alleged grooming at Brighton hospital
4:10pm Wednesday 30th January 2013 in News By Ben Parsons, Crime Reporter
A nurse has been allowed to continue working while police investigate claims he sent sexual Facebook messages to a 14-year-old girl.
Peter Crute, 41, who works at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, was arrested by police on suspicion of “grooming a minor” earlier this month.
He has not been charged. He is on police bail while officers analyse his computer.
Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust confirmed Crute is continuing to work at the Royal Sussex while the investigation continues.
A spokesman said his role does not involve contact with children and police had advised the trust there was no reason he should not keep working.
Crute, of Lewes Road, Brighton, was arrested by Sussex Police on January 5.
They were investigating claims he sent a sexual message to a 14-year-old girl.
He was bailed without charge, and made subject to conditions that he does not contact the victim or her family, does not use social media websites and is not alone with any child under the age of 16.
Crute appeared at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Monday, January 28, to apply for his social media ban to be lifted.
His solicitor, Talia Martin, said the condition was too restrictive because he had 100 friends and family on Facebook with whom he needed to stay in contact.
Magistrates refused to change his bail conditions at the hearing.
Sussex Police have confirmed Crute is due to answer bail on April 2.
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