Former Clare student Lorcan Elliott has been sentenced to four years and eight months in prison after admitting to a series of sexual offences concerning children.

Elliott pleaded guilty to 22 offences and to having 604 indecent images of children. 142 of these were in Category A, the most serious classification.

He also confessed to having sexual communication with children and inciting children to engage in sexual activity.

Elliott studied medicine at Cambridge from 2017 to 2023, acting as the medical subject representative within Clare College during this time.

The offences were committed between January 2022 and May 2023, while Elliott was still a student at the University. He was arrested in May 2023 at his student accommodation.

His sentence was handed down at Cambridge Crown Court on 4 September. Two Cambridge academics provided him with character references.

Prosecutor Samantha Marsh suggested there were over 15 victims aged between 13 and 15 whom the police had been able to track.

She also told the court that Elliott described himself as a “sugar daddy,” offering between £200 and £800 depending on children’s “sexual limits”. However, there was no evidence of money being exchanged.

Judge Philip Grey described his behaviour as “utterly selfish, manipulative, and exploitative,” saying: “What you did is the sort of foul online behaviour that causes parents the world over to fear what their children are being exposed to online.”

“You were on the verge of qualifying as a doctor when these offences were uncovered,” Judge Grey stated.

He continued: “It is, however, plain that someone who was so demonstrably unable to control their sexual urges towards children could never be considered fit to practise as a doctor.”

Elliott has been added to the Sex Offenders Register for life and has been given a Sexual Offences Prevention Order without a time limit. He will also be banned from working with children and other vulnerable groups.

As he was sentenced, Elliott put his head in his hands and cried. Judge Grey accepted that he was “remorseful,” but that the offences were “extremely grave”.

Solicitor Henry Oghoetuoma said: “He has admitted offending because he realises that what he did was wrong.”

“It is reality that he has busted his medical career,” Oghoetuoma continued.

Elliott has sought counselling and has attended several courses to address his behaviour.

Clare College was contacted for comment.