A paramedic has been banned for making unwanted sexual advances towards a teenager after working at the Bathurst 1000 motor race, claiming he was led on by the term ‘ Netflix and chill’.
Craig Davies admitted professional misconduct over touching and ‘grinding’ the 17-year-old boy in shared accommodation after working at the car race in regional NSW in October 2020.
He admitted sending the teenager an explicit TikTok video and a photo of a patient, while also making inappropriate comments like ‘aren’t you a pretty cute innocent boy’ in the weeks afterwards.
The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal found Davies guilty of the misconduct on Friday and cancelled his registration.
The teenager had made it ‘abundantly clear’ the touching was unwelcome, but Davies’ insight into his behaviour remains limited, the tribunal found.
Davies, then 27, worked for St John Ambulance at the race on October 17 and returned to his accommodation to watch an episode of the Netflix show Money Heist with the teenager.
The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal found St John Ambulance paramedic Craig Davies guilty of misconduct on Friday and cancelled his registration
While the pair sat on a bed watching on a laptop Davies stroked and rubbed the teenager, who used his elbow to push him away, the tribunal was told.
When the 17-year-old became upset and curled up in a ball on another bed, Davies hugged and ‘grinded’ him and suggested sex, which the teenager refused.
Davies told the tribunal the teenager had made several references to ‘Netflix and chill’, wrongly leading him to believe he was open to sex.
Under cross-examination, Davies admitted the teenager may have only used the phrase once.
The term is commonly used to refer to casual sex.
Even if the teenager used the phrase, his moving away and becoming upset demonstrated Mr Davies’ conduct was unwanted, the tribunal found.
After Davies returned to Sydney, he sent the teenager a TikTok video of two people engaged in a sex act, followed by an explicit photo of a patient.
Davies said he didn’t realise the video was on his social media feed, while the photo was sent to generate clinical discussions.
Craig Davies worked as a St John Ambulance paramedic at the Bathurst 1000
The tribunal found the sending of the photo for professional reasons was ‘glaringly improbable’.
After Davies was suspended from St John Ambulance in December 2020 over the complaints, he did not inform NSW Ambulance or health regulators as required.
Davies was initially convicted of sexually touching a person without consent in the local court in 2021, but the NSW District Court quashed the conviction on appeal the following year.
His solicitor argued any further action against Davies would be unjust after the successful legal appeal.
But the tribunal said there was little evidence Davies had taken steps to address his behaviour.
‘It is simply not possible to say when, if ever, Mr Davies will be able to establish that there is no real and material risk that the misconduct might be repeated,’ the judgment said.
