Kempton Cowan, the former CEO of Joondalup Health Campus, has appeared before Perth Magistrate’s Court to plead guilty to charges of possessing and transmitting child pornography.
Mr Cowan appeared sombre and subdued as he made his way into court on Friday, 19 May 2023, to face three counts of possessing child abuse material, seven counts of acquiring child pornography, and one count of soliciting child abuse material.
As each offence carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in jail, it is possible that the 56-year-old will be behind bars for the remainder of his working life.
WA Police dropped two charges against him, including one for using a carriage device to access child pornography and another for transmitting child pornography using a carriage service.
WA’s healthcare community was rocked last year by allegations that the well-known senior executive had been engaged in such conduct, with numerous figures from the sector working closely with Mr Cowan during his long history heading Joondalup Health Campus.
After his appointment to the role of CEO in 2002, Mr Cowan worked for nearly two decades alongside both state and federal governments on expanding and improving the hospital, becoming close with many senior WA politicians and business leaders.
In 2018 he was awarded the honorary title of Doctor of Business by Edith Cowan University for his “vision, strategic engagement and exceptional work ethic in building strong and enduring connections between industry, education and the local community.”
“Dr Cowan is an exemplary leader who has utilised his financial and commercial experience, his ability to engage strategically with industry and his exceptional work ethic to foster a strong community and a strong health campus,” ECU Vice Chancellor Professor Stephen Chapman said at the time.
“ECU is privileged to be a beneficiary of Dr Cowan’s vision through the vital opportunities the Joondalup Health Campus provides to our students and researchers.”
Mr Cowan left the hospital in 2020 to take on a senior strategic role with Ramsay Health Care but was stood down before resigning when the allegations emerged.
He was first officially charged on 24 March 2022, after police raided his Mosman Park home and uncovered abusive videos on his iPhones and iPad, including a request to access more content from online providers.
The investigation began after an Interpol tip-off by a young teen from the UK was passed to Australian Federal Police. The teen reported being in contact with an ‘Australian man’ and the messaging accounts were subsequently linked to Mr Cowan.
In a statement, ECU Vice-Chancellor Steve Chapman said Mr Cowan’s guilty plea to serious criminal charges was shocking and disturbing.
“Mr Cowan served on the ECU Council from 2006-2009 and was conferred an Honorary Doctorate from our university in 2018,” he said.
“Guided by ECU’s values, our Council Executive have immediately resolved to revoke the Honorary Doctorate.
“As an institution, we have no tolerance for any and all behaviour that conflicts with the values we all share.”