A surgeon suspected of sexually assaulting around 250 children, including many while they were anaesthetised, is believed to be France‘s most prolific paedophile.

Joel Le Scouarnec, 66, a specialist in abdominal surgery, is alleged to have attacked young boys and girls over three decades and even kept a diary of his hundreds of encounters.

In 2005, he was convicted of possessing images of child sexual abuse but the surgeon was allowed to continue practicing until his recent arrest in 2017.

The latest allegations arose during an investigation sparked by claims he raped a four-year-old and six-year-old girl, according to The Times.

Le Scouarnec, who worked at the Hospital de Jonzac in western France, denies raping the two girls but has admitted ‘deviant behaviour’ with them, according to his lawyer.