Lo's lawyer, Lawrence Lok Ying-kam, SC, described him as a sunny, hard-working young man who gave his family HK$10,000 a month, raised money for Oxfam and took part in long-distance running events.

Lok said the Medical Association could discipline his client and suspend him from practising. Doctors must receive an annual certificate of good character, and with a criminal record, that will be very hard.

'Whether you say he had it coming or he brought it on himself, you still have to feel sorry for him,' Lok said. The conviction would affect not only Lo, but his family as well.

Magistrate Symon Wong Yu-wing noted Lo had a good background and had studied a lot, and said he felt sorry for him and his family.

Wong convicted Lo after finding the prosecution's witnesses reliable and deciding not to accept Lo's testimony in self-defence. He has been remanded in custody.

The court earlier heard the teenager testify that she went to Lo for an upset stomach on February 10. After lifting up her dress to her rib area for Lo to examine her abdomen, he had pushed the dress and her bra up to her collarbone and touched her breasts.

Wong adjourned his sentencing until November 6, calling for a psychological report on Lo and a psychological assessment of the victim.

Wong said Lo was unlikely to get a community service order because Lo's offence not only constituted a breach of trust, but the victim was just 15 years old, he said. Wong noted that Lo did not seem remorseful.

A Tuen Mun Hospital spokesman said Lo had been suspended and that it would deal with him according to the Hospital Authority's procedures.