Nurse who asked colleague about sex toys and finding a ‘sugar daddy’ suspended
The panel ruled that his fitness to practise as a nurse was impaired on both public protection and public interest grounds.
A male nurse has been suspended after being found to have sexually harassed a colleague by asking her explicit questions about sex toys and whether she wanted him to find her a “sugar daddy”.
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Benjamin Terkper also admitted to asking his colleague if she was on her period.
The behaviour, which took place over a number of months, reflected a “deep-seated attitudinal issue” in Terkper, and created a risk of him repeating it towards patients and members of the public, a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel found.
Terkper worked at a private hospital operated by Nuffield Health in Oxford between October 30 2023 and June 13 2024.
He was suspended in May 2024 and dismissed the following month after a disciplinary investigation into sexual harassment.
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Terkper admitted asking his colleague about dildos and if she was on her period, and also made comments about finding her “an older sugar daddy to take care of her”.
He also admitted calling her at 10pm while she was not at work, then asking the next day why she did not answer.
Further charges of asking what penis size she preferred and if she used a vibrator were proved by the panel.
An independent witness backed up claims that Terkper had placed both hands around his colleague’s neck and shaken her.
Charges that he had grabbed her waist and shoulders, followed her, and grabbed and shaken her lower stomach were found not proved by the NMC panel.
The NMC panel ruled Terkper’s fitness to practise as a nurse was impaired on both public protection and public interest grounds, and his conduct amounted to misconduct including sexual harassment.
Case presenter Richard Webb, of the NMC, said Terkper’s “repeated sexual and harassing behaviour over a period of months demonstrated a deep-seated attitudinal issue” and “created a risk of repetition towards others, including patients and members of the public”.
While the NMC acknowledged that he had apologised, engaged with the proceedings and completed relevant training, a “lack of meaningful insight” from Terkper meant it “could not be said” that the behaviour was highly unlikely to be repeated.
Terkper was suspended for 12 months, with an interim suspension order of 18 months imposed pending appeal.