A JUNIOR doctor’s career is in jeopardy after he pleaded guilty to possessing an indecent image of a boy.

Dr Mohsan Anwar, 28, of Mill Lodge, Llandegfan in Anglesey, also admitted having three extreme porn images involving men between October 2018 and January 28 last year. The prosecution said the offensive material on a phone featured bestiality.

On Tuesday, July 7 the doctor received a twelve months community order with 300 hours unpaid work and was told to pay £170 costs. He has to register as a sex offender for five years.

Magistrates’ chairman Alastair Langdon told him at Caernarfon court :”You are very lucky because these offences are very, very serious. We know you didn’t upload them yourself.But it took a long time to get to here. If you told the truth from the very beginning you probably wouldn’t be here today.”

The magistrate said :”We have heard you are a good man, you have no previous convictions, you are remorseful, you didn’t seek out these images yourself but foolishly you read them. There was clearly some banter that went on with two lots of WhatsApp groups, all men. You wanted to be one of the lads, very stupidly.”

Mr Langdon said there were three good references and Dr Anwar had taken steps to address his behaviour.

Prosecutor Diane Williams said police probing the distribution of indecent images spoke to the doctor who handed over his mobile phone. An officer found an indecent image of a boy thought to be aged nine.

Mrs Williams said Dr Anwar told police he was in a WhatsApp group but didn’t always view messages. He maintained he would have deleted any disgusting material.

But the prosecutor said :”At one point the defendant had asked in relation to one video whether it was appropriate for him to open it on the ward.”

Mrs Williams said police would have considered a conditional caution for the doctor but there wasn’t a full admission.

She explained that the defence had been in contact with the prosecution about whether the public interest in bringing the case was satisfied.

The December 2018 child porn image was in the highest category of seriousness.

The prosecution accepted that Dr Anwar didn’t distribute the porn.

Defence counsel Thomas Welshman said the offences came about at a stressful time because of an “error of judgement, wanting to be part of the gang, trying to make friends.”

The lawyer said :”Dr Anwar’s case is about a promising young man of good character making a number of bad decisions. The small number of images in this case and other mitigation places this case at the lower end of the sentencing spectrum.

“This conviction will undoubtedly be hugely significant in terms of his ability to practise as a doctor.”

Four images were sent to the defendant on a group chat. “He didn’t seek them out himself by searching online,” Mr Welshman remarked. Dr Anwar had felt isolated and joined a WhatsApp group of friends from a gym.

“Dr Anwar trivialised the images at first as banter and didn’t realise their significance until police became involved. He’s deeply sorry.

“Dr Anwar has no previous convictions. His history is one of a promising young doctor whose career has been unfortunately halted by the offences.”

There were “impressive” references from colleagues with a supervisor describing him as one of the best foundation year doctors in the department. “He’s a hardworking, conscientious young man who has made a mistake. He had no sexual interest in the images and he hadn’t downloaded them,” counsel added. “Dr Anwar is deeply ashamed of what he’s done.”

Sue Green, executive director, workforce and organisational development for the Betsi Cadwaladr health board in North Wales, said :“Dr Anwar remains excluded from the Health Board and his training programme pending the investigation which is still under way. We are working with Health Education and Improvement Wales to conclude the process as soon as possible.”

ENDS