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Paediatrician Jonathan Walsh jailed over child sex images Paediatrician Jonathan Walsh jailed over child sex images
(about 2 hours later)
A paediatrician has been jailed for three years for having and sharing child sex images of the most serious kind. A paediatrician who used "military-grade" software to cover his tracks has been jailed for three years for having and sharing child sex images.
Jonathan Walsh, 47, was sentenced at Exeter Crown Court after admitting 17 charges of making and distributing indecent images Dr Jonathan Walsh, 47, a former consultant at North Devon District Hospital, admitted 17 charges of making and distributing indecent images.
Walsh has moved away from Barnstaple since the matter became public. Officers raided his house in Barnstaple which he shared with his wife and children, Exeter Crown Court heard.
He has also been sacked from his job as a consultant at North Devon District Hospital. They found 26 category A movies showing the most serious types of abuse.
More on the paediatrician jailed over child images, and other Devon newsMore on the paediatrician jailed over child images, and other Devon news
The court was told that when officers raided his house in Barnstaple, which he shared with his wife and children, they found 35 computer files. Walsh, who was sacked from North Devon District Hospital, has moved to Lytham St Annes in Lancashire.
Of these, 27 were classed as category A, meaning they showed the most serious types of abuse. The court heard that Walsh had configured settings on his computer's router and installed software to wipe files and hide their use.
Walsh had configured settings on his computer's router and installed software to wipe files and hide their use. "He used CyberScrub, which has been described as military grade, to remove all traces of these downloads," said prosecutor James Davis.
He admitted 10 counts of distributing indecent images of children and seven of making indecent images of children. But police found the files after going through his router.
'Despicable crimes' Walsh admitted 10 counts of distributing indecent images of children and seven of making indecent images of children.
Police confirmed none of the images related to patients at the hospital.Police confirmed none of the images related to patients at the hospital.
Sentencing him, Judge Geoffrey Mercer said Walsh had gone to "considerable lengths" to disguise what he was doing.Sentencing him, Judge Geoffrey Mercer said Walsh had gone to "considerable lengths" to disguise what he was doing.
"To state that your sexual interest in children, which underlines these offences, causes concern with regard to the position you held is a massive understatement," he said."To state that your sexual interest in children, which underlines these offences, causes concern with regard to the position you held is a massive understatement," he said.
Det Insp Andrea Kingdon, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said Walsh was a "practising and respected" paediatrician when he was committing the crimes, and had let himself and his profession down. He added: "Your career is of course at an end and to quote from one of the letters you have written to me 'through my own actions I have lost my job, my career, my reputation and caused great harm to those around me that I love'."
"The victims of these types of offences often do not have a voice as their images are shared by paedophilic networks many times over, in a manner which constantly re-victimises them," she said. The judge also put Walsh on the sex offenders register for life, imposed a sexual harm prevention order and ordered the destruction of his computer equipment.
"We are determined to eradicate these types of despicable crimes and to stop paedophile offenders from being gratified by such activity, and in doing so protect the vulnerable."