Thursday, June 24, 2010

GREGORY CARTER: NEW CRIMINAL CHARGES LAID IN AFTERMATH OF HIS GUILTY PLEA TO PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT;


"He was frequently called upon to testify in child custody cases, and advised the CAS on the apprehension of children, according to complainants.

One of those complainants was at the Oshawa courthouse Thursday. She said Mr. Carter was involved in a decision by the CAS to apprehend her children. Mr. Carter offered an opinion about her mental state without interviewing her, she said.

"I've never met the man," the woman said.

Mr. Carter is registered with the College of Psychologists as a psychological associate. He is authorized to work with children and families, but is prohibited from independently diagnosing symptoms or disorders, and is required to perform duties under the supervision of a qualified psychologist."

REPORTER JEFF MITCHELL; DURHAMREGION.COM;

PHOTO TONY BOCK; TORONTO STAR;

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BACKGROUND: Gregory Carter, 63, was charged Jan. 25 with fraud, obstructing justice and perjury. Durham police allege Mr. Carter falsely identified himself as a psychologist in family court proceedings, identifying himself as a doctor. Some of those hearings resulted in parents losing bids for custody of their children, police said. On June 22, 2010, he pleaded guilty to professional misconduct for holding himself out as a "doctor" and was suspended for three months. Local papers have reported that the possibility of a class action is being explored.

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"OSHAWA -- More than 20 new charges have been laid against Gregory Carter, the Whitby man accused of committing perjury and obstruction of justice by portraying himself as a doctor of psychology in Durham family court cases," the story by reporter Jeff Mitchell published in durhamregion.com begins, under the heading, "More charges against Whitby man who influenced custody cases."
"The 21 new charges -- the total Mr. Carter now faces is 28 -- were filed with the courts in Oshawa Thursday. They include fraud under $5,000, perjury and obstruction of justice," the story continues.

"Durham police Detective Paul Vibert said the new charges arose from complaints filed since news of Mr. Carter's initial arrest in January. A total of 15 complainants have now come forward, he said.

"It's an ongoing investigation," Det. Vibert said Thursday at the Oshawa courthouse.

Mr. Carter presented himself as a psychologist and dubbed himself a doctor while testifying about the suitability of people to care for children, police allege. Mr. Carter has a long-standing practice in Whitby and associations with agencies including the Durham Children's Aid Society.

He was frequently called upon to testify in child custody cases, and advised the CAS on the apprehension of children, according to complainants.

One of those complainants was at the Oshawa courthouse Thursday. She said Mr. Carter was involved in a decision by the CAS to apprehend her children. Mr. Carter offered an opinion about her mental state without interviewing her, she said.

"I've never met the man," the woman said.

Mr. Carter is registered with the College of Psychologists as a psychological associate. He is authorized to work with children and families, but is prohibited from independently diagnosing symptoms or disorders, and is required to perform duties under the supervision of a qualified psychologist.

On Tuesday Mr. Carter admitted to breaching those restrictions, pleading guilty to professional misconduct before a disciplinary panel of the College of Psychologists. He was reprimanded and suspended from practising for three months. The disciplinary panel also ordered that when he resumes practice, his work be supervised.

The panel heard Mr. Carter claimed to have a PhD related to psychology, but that was not the case. The college refused to recognize the doctorate, obtained from a university targeted by U.S. lawmakers as a diploma mill.

The allegations levelled against Mr. Carter have prompted a review of files by the CAS. Lawyer George Callahan confirmed Tuesday that work continues on a potential class action lawsuit in the matter.

Mr. Carter's case is due back in Oshawa court in September."

The story can be found at:

http://newsdurhamregion.com/news/crime/article/156987

Harold Levy...hlevy15@gmail.com;