A FORMER paediatrician who branded his victims "gold diggers" and thought he was "bomb proof," has been found guilty of multiple counts of child rape and sexual abuse.

Michael Salmon, now 80, who lives in Salisbury, was today found guilty of brutally raping a 16-year-old girl in his bedroom after she had gone to him for medical help, telling her "one favour deserves another."

He also repeatedly indecently assaulted young female patients during unnecessary internal examinations.

Salmon, who specialised in children's growth disorders and neurological problems, worked at hospitals around Buckinghamshire, including Stoke Mandeville, where serial pervert Savile targeted patients for sex attacks during his time as a fundraiser there.

Salmon was the first person to be charged under Operation Yewtree for offences at the hospital when eight women came forward in the wake of the Savile scandal alleging rapes and indecent assaults.

However, the court heard he had already served time after pleading guilty in November 1990 to a string of sex assaults dating to the same time period.

After a month-long trial, jurors today unanimously found Salmon guilty of nine counts of indecent assault and two counts of rape, relating to six girls, aged 12 to 18 years at the time, between the years 1980 and 1988.

He was acquitted of two further counts of rape against one victim, two of using an instrument to procure an abortion on another and indecent assaults against a further teenager.

Salmon had denied one victim had ever been to his house, despite the largely accurate description and floorplan the victim was able to give of the house.

Jurors unanimously found Salmon not guilty of having carried out two abortions on the vulnerable teenager, but found him guilty of raping her on two occasions.

Salmon had accused the women of lying in order to seek damages.

Judge Johanna Cutts QC remanded Salmon in custody until sentencing next week. His wife Susie, who has stood by him throughout proceedings, sobbed as he was taken down to the cells.

Further victims come forward

MORE female victims have come forward, making historic allegations of sexual abuse at the hands of the doctor after seeing media coverage of Michael Salmon's trial, police said today.

Four victims initially came forward and Salmon was arrested and charged in November 2013. This was reported in the media and further victims came forward to help support these women, leading to further charges brought in May 2014.

Speaking outside Reading Crown Court after jurors found Salmon guilty of nine indecent assaults and two rapes, Detective sergeant Malcolm Wheeler from the Thames Valley Police Child Abuse Investigation Unit confirmed more woman had come forward making allegations of sexual abuse.

“Salmon was a prolific sexual offender who abused his position of power in order for his own sexual gratification," he said.

“As a consultant paediatrician, he preyed on young girls who had been referred to him for a variety of health issues. They trusted him, they believed him, because he was a doctor and they thought he was trustworthy.

“On a number of occasions, he carried out unnecessary internal examinations on young girls. Although they felt uncomfortable at this, they didn’t feel able to tell anyone because they believed the examinations must have been necessary. Some of the offences were committed while the child’s parent was just outside the room.

“They have had to live with his actions their entire lives and it is only because of their bravery that Salmon now faces a long time behind bars.”

Jessica Standley, an abuse lawyer at Slater and Gordon which represent two of the victims Salmon was found guilty of attacking, said: “My clients will welcome the sentence delivered to Michael Salmon. The crimes he committed were among the most despicable imaginable, he abused his position of trust to assault the young and the very vulnerable.

“I think the severity of the sentence reflects the fact that these were assaults on little girls who had no reason to suspect they were in any danger. Both the patients and their parents believed they would be cared for and safe in hospital. Sadly with Salmon around nothing could have been further from the truth.

“The bravery of those he attacked in coming forward and securing justice must be recognised. His treatment of them in court suggesting they were lying and ‘gold diggers’ was frankly disgusting.

“And yet again this case raises serious questions about the culture at Stoke Mandeville hospital at the time Jimmy Savile and Salmon were there. But whereas Savile’s victims will never see him brought to justice, now Salmon’s have.”