CHESTER GP ANTHONY BLAND ESCAPES JAIL AFTER BEING CAUGHT WITH CHILD INDECENT IMAGES

In March 2018, health authorities in Chester issued a statement of reassurance following a disturbing case involving a local general practitioner who narrowly avoided imprisonment after being found guilty of possessing indecent images of children.

Dr. Anthony Kenmore Bland, a 62-year-old medical professional employed at Fountains Medical Practice in Chester, appeared before Chester Crown Court last Friday, March 2, to face multiple serious charges. He pleaded guilty to a total of seven counts, which included five charges related to the possession of indecent images and cartoons depicting children, one charge of possessing extreme pornography, and an additional count of attempting to incite a female child under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity.

The court heard that Bland, a resident of Ormonde Road in Chester, was caught after police investigations traced child-related search terms used on a computer that was linked to him. The police executed a search warrant at his family home on Ormonde Road on January 26 of the previous year. During the raid, officers discovered a substantial collection of illicit material stored across five different devices. This collection comprised a staggering total of 16,936 images and videos involving children aged between six and 15 years old.

The material included 45 images classified as the most serious Category A, with 11 of these being video recordings up to an hour long, depicting children being raped and subjected to abuse. The evidence presented in court painted a disturbing picture of the extent of Bland’s involvement in viewing and possessing such material. The severity of the content and the number of images underscored the gravity of the case.

During sentencing, Judge Simon Berkson acknowledged the seriousness of the crimes but expressed a belief that Bland could be rehabilitated. As a result, he sentenced Bland to 20 months in prison, but this sentence was suspended for two years, meaning Bland would not serve time unless he committed further offenses within that period. Additionally, the judge imposed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to restrict Bland’s activities and protect potential victims. Bland was also ordered to register as a sex offender for the next decade.

Judge Berkson addressed Bland directly, stating, “You have brought shame on your family and on your profession. You kept a dark and horrible secret. You spent a lot of time viewing indecent images of children on your computer. Every one of those children is a victim of sexual abuse, abuse perpetrated because people like you are prepared, and want, to view these images.”

He further emphasized the damage caused by such actions, noting that Bland’s reputation was now in ruins and that he was officially a convicted sex offender. The judge concluded by saying, “Your reputation is in tatters and you are now a convicted sex offender. You have brought all of this on yourself.”

In addition to the possession charges, Bland admitted to attempting to incite a girl aged between 13 and 15 to engage in sexual activity. He was also found to possess extreme pornography, including material involving bestiality. As part of his sentence, Bland was ordered to participate in a sex offenders’ rehabilitation program and to pay court costs amounting to £800.