Doctor Douglas William McCarthy admits sexually assaulting two teenage girls
WARNING: This article contains details some readers may find distressing.
Douglas William McCarthy, 63, is on trial in the WA District Court on sex charges related to eight girls, most of whom were aged 14 and 15 at the time of the alleged offending.
The court had heard Mr McCarthy allegedly paid girls for photos, and engaged in sexual acts with them, even keeping a "video library".
On Monday morning, he pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual penetration involving one victim, and two counts of sexual penetration involving another victim.
Both girls were aged between 13 and 16 at the time.
But Mr McCarthy is maintaining he is not guilty of "persistent sexual conduct" involving those girls, which requires three or more separate incidents to be proven.
His trial on those charges, and others involving other alleged victims, is continuing.
Mr McCarthy largely practised as a GP in the state's South West region when he committed the alleged offences but has since been suspended.
The pleas in front of the jury trial came after several days of evidence from alleged victims, both in police interviews and direct testimony to the court.
One alleged victim who gave evidence to the court said she had "non-consensual sex" with Mr McCarthy three times and went on to describe one instance in a bathroom.
"He didn't ask, he just told," she said.
Another alleged victim said she was 15 when she went to see Mr McCarthy at his home, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her on a massage table.

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