A WEST Somerset dentist has been suspended from dental work after being charged with an alleged sexual assault in his surgery on a 16-year-old girl.
Ajith George Behanan, aged 49, is due to stand trial in Taunton Magistrates Court on July 10 after his case was delayed by several months because the complainant was away.
Mr Behanan, who has run Holloway House Dental Surgery, Minehead, since at least 2014, has said he intends to plead not guilty.
He has been charged with sexually touching a girl without her consent on December 11, 2020.
Mr Behanan was suspended from dental practice for 18 months in August of last year shortly after a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to bring charges.
His suspension was then continued when it was reviewed by a committee of the Dental Professionals Hearing Service earlier this year.
A summary of the outcome was published after a remote hearing by the Interim Orders Committee was held in private on January 25.
The committee heard from barrister Natalie Bird, appearing on behalf of the General Dental Council (GDC).
Mr Behanan was represented by barrister Matthew McDonagh, who said his client intended to enter a plea of not guilty to the charge when he appeared in court, and he denied the allegations made against him.
The committee decided the allegations were serious and continued the suspension for the remainder of the term. It said the suspension would be reviewed again within the next six months.