A pervert dentist has been struck off after sending explicit messages to a 13-year-old girl for "sexual gratification".

Richard Prais, who ran Prais Dental Care (PDC), in Lyttelton Road, Hampstead Garden Suburb, was sentenced to four months in jail, suspended for 12 months, at Harrow Crown Court, on October 29, 2021.

The 58-year-old had admitted an "attempt to engage in sexual communication with a child" at Willesden Magistrates Court the previous month.

Police evidence showed he had deleted an app on his phone after he and his wife refused officers entry to their Winnington Road home in a dawn raid, according to a report by the General Dental Council (GDC).

Following his guilty plea in 2021, Prais was suspended for 15 months by the GDC, with a review planned six months later.

He has now been banned from the profession.

On September 26 and 27, a GDC committee heard claims that Prais, told a 13-year-old girl in online exchanges to “show me your body”, saying, “we need to send naughty pics are you up for that [sic]” and also "do you want to see my c***".

Prais repeatedly told the committee that he did not believe the person he was communicating with - who the report indicates was an undercover police officer - was 13.

But they did not accept this, citing a message in which he asked ”are you really 13?” When the girl replied “yeah why”, his response was “let's get naughty” and “we need to send each other naughty pics”.

The exchanges lasted eight days, during which time Prais allegedly sent explicit messages including one of himself naked covering his genitals with his hand and telling her "I want to see you nearly naked".

In the GDC's account, Prais is reported to have told the committee he "regrets deeply" what happened, there were "considerable stresses" in his life and that it would not be in the public interest to strike him off as his crime was "a one off".

Callum Munday, counsel for the GDC, said Prais' actions were "a form of child grooming and child abuse".

He asserted that Prais was "still" denying knowing that the girl was 13 and any sexual gratification on his part which was "at odds" with the guilty plea he entered at court.

Mr Munday submitted that given the nature of Prais' offending, "his denial and lack of insight", the GDC’s position was that he should be struck off to protect the public and to maintain public confidence in the profession.

His counsel, Ms Horlick, said her client had taken a "long standing course of remediation" and that there was "no risk of repetition". 

The committee report said: "You have repeatedly apologised for your conduct and referred to your behaviour as vile and repugnant. However, to date you have failed to accept the core component of your wrongdoing, namely that your communication with a person pertaining to be 13 years old was for sexual gratification."

It adds: "The committee is not satisfied that you can have true remorse".

Prais has 28 days to appeal.