72 charges, 18 alleged victims: the questions beyond the consulting room

A Perth paediatrician’s prosecution has grown from two charges to 72. Questions remain about the safeguards surrounding children’s medical care.

Content warning: allegations of child sexual abuse.

Children came to Chia Liang Saw for medical care. Prosecutors allege that, during some consultations, the Perth paediatrician sexually abused children and used concealed cameras to record the offending.

Those allegations now form part of a prosecution involving 72 charges and 18 alleged victims, according to police figures reported in August.

Saw, a Wembley resident who was 41 when charged, has not been convicted in this case. At the last detailed hearing located for this report, on 6 August 2026, he had not entered pleas. The allegations remain untested, and he is presumed innocent.

But the case raises questions beyond the charges themselves: what safeguards governed the consultations, how were concerns about patient safety handled, and what reviews followed his arrest?

Published reports explain how the charges grew and when Saw’s registration was suspended. They say much less about the safeguards in the clinics where he treated children.

From two charges to 72

The investigation became public in late May, when Saw was charged with persistent sexual conduct with a child under 16 and possessing child exploitation material.

AAP reported that the alleged offending spanned November 2022 to May 2026 and involved locations in Wembley, Nedlands and Midland.

Police seized electronic devices and data for forensic examination. Court reporting described investigators interviewing children and examining allegations both within and outside the workplace.

By 6 August 2026, the reported charge count had reached 72.

Reported figures as at 6 August 2026	Number
Total charges	72
Alleged victims	18
Additional charges reported in August	15
Additional alleged victims reported in August	7
Electronic communication charges involving an adult presenting as a child	20

DATE IN 2026	REPORTED DEVELOPMENT
29 to 30 May 2026	Initial charges laid on 29 May. Echo reported a first court appearance on 30 May, followed by remand in custody.
5 JUNE 2026	Medical registration suspended, a date confirmed by Ahpra to Medical Forum.
19 JUNE 2026	Another 31 charges brought the total to 33.
30 JUNE 2026	Twenty additional charges brought the total to 53.
10 JULY 2026	The reported total reached 57. Saw was granted home detention bail.
6 AUGUST 2026	Fifteen further charges brought the total to 72. Existing bail was revoked, and no bail application was made on the new charges.
30 OCTOBER 2026	Committal mention scheduled in Perth Magistrates Court, according to the August reporting. The listing has not been independently reconfirmed for this article.

What the court has heard

Saw’s work included treating children with behavioural difficulties. At a June 2026 hearing, the court heard allegations that cameras concealed in consulting rooms in Midland and Nedlands had captured sexual offending.

The defence has disputed the prosecution’s interpretation of the recordings.

During bail proceedings on 30 June 2026, lawyer Alex Smith said Saw denied the persistent sexual conduct allegations and maintained that recordings had been made to protect him against accusations.

Prosecutors told the court that an expert who examined a recording considered the interactions to have no reasonable explanation.

These were competing submissions during a bail application, not findings made after a trial.

The 15 charges reported in August concerned seven additional alleged victims.

Additional charges reported on 6 August 2026	Number
Sexual penetration of a child under 13	3
Indecent dealing	6
Counts concerning indecent recordings	5
Producing child exploitation material	1
Total additional charges	15

His online charges

Not every charge concerns an alleged physical encounter with a child.

At a 3 July 2026 hearing, the court was told that 20 electronic communication charges involved an adult who had presented online as a child.

Smith described that person as a vigilante, rather than a police officer or police agent. The communications were subsequently supplied to WA Police.

Those 20 counts do not represent 20 additional child complainants.

Bail revoked after device use

Saw was granted home detention bail on 10 July 2026. Reported conditions included electronic monitoring, restrictions on contact with children and controls on communications devices.

On 6 August 2026, the court heard he had used an unauthorised electronic device. Prosecutors sought to have his bail revoked.

His lawyer, Katherine Dowling, did not oppose the application and said there was no allegation that the breach involved nefarious activity. Saw did not apply for bail on the new charges and returned to custody.

The device breach should not be presented as proof of further sexual offending. No later publicly accessible report confirming a change in his custody status was located for this article.

When the regulator acted

Ahpra confirmed that Saw’s registration was suspended on 5 June 2026, preventing him from practising anywhere in Australia while the suspension remained in force.

The agency told Medical Forum it was working with WA Police.

The suspension was a protective regulatory action, not a finding that the criminal allegations were true.

Its date also leaves a separate question unanswered: when did the regulator first receive information about the matter?

Information relevant to the investigation can be provided to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Support is available through 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. Please do not identify or speculate about any child or family involved.