By Ealing Today - 26/12/2023 - [UK] - {James Burrow]
A doctor from Ealing has been given a suspended sentence after being found guilty of viewing images of child abuse.
46-year-old consultant anaesthetist James Burrow of Sayers Court who worked at Charing Cross Hospital avoided jail despite being convicted of accessing 20 Category A images and videos which are considered to be the most extreme including those featuring children as young as five.
His home was raided and his computer was seized on 15 November 2022 after the police obtained a search warrant having identified his IP address as the location from which illegal content was downloaded including over 1,000 separate items.
He was convicted at Isleworth Crown Court this Thursday (21 December) after pleading guilty to all the charges against him at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court in October.
He was sentenced to 40 weeks imprisonment for accessing the Category A images plus shorter sentences for viewing less extreme content all of which are to run concurrently and are suspended for 18 months. He was also given a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order with notification requirements and must complete a programme of rehabilitation as will as 125 hours of unpaid community service.
The General Medical Council (GMC) decided not to remove his licence but Burrow resigned from his job ‘to avoid embarrassment to the hospital’.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact Dignity4Patients, whose helpline is open Monday to Thursday 10am to 4pm.