DUNCAN BLAIR FROM WINCHESTER RETURNS TO SERVICE DESPITE CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES

In a recent development that has sparked considerable controversy, Lt Cdr Duncan Blair, a Royal Navy doctor based in Winchester, has been permitted to resume his professional duties despite his past involvement with accessing child pornography on the internet. This decision was made after a series of hearings and assessments, which imposed strict conditions on his practice, reflecting the serious nature of his offenses.

Blair, who resides on Coate Drive, Worthy Down, Winchester, and previously lived on Firs Drive in Southampton, was found to have viewed indecent images of children while working at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester. Although he has been allowed to return to work, his practice is now limited exclusively to the military context, and he is prohibited from having any direct contact with children under the age of 16. These restrictions are set to remain in place for three years, as determined by a professional conduct committee based in London. Additionally, Blair will remain on the Sex Offenders Register until 2008, reflecting the gravity of his past actions.

During the proceedings, Blair explained that his viewing of child pornography was part of an attempt to 'exorcise his demons.' He claimed that he was trying to understand whether he had been psychologically damaged by two incidents from his early teenage years. The first incident involved him fleeing from a pervert on a train traveling from Chester to Bangor, and the second involved being fondled by a girl his own age at a family gathering in Birkenhead. These personal experiences, he said, motivated his actions as he sought to confront his inner struggles.

Blair, who qualified as a medical doctor at Sheffield University in 1991, has also worked as a part-time general practitioner at Belle View in Birmingham. His arrest occurred in March of the previous year, when Ministry of Defence police detained him. In July, he was formally cautioned for inciting another person to distribute indecent photographs of children and was subsequently placed on the Sex Offenders Register for a period of five years.

In December, Blair was found guilty of serious professional misconduct by a General Medical Council panel and was suspended from practice for six months. The misconduct stemmed from his admission of accessing child pornography on one occasion in May 1999, which was traced through the use of his credit card. At the time, he was working in community paediatrics at Winchester’s Royal Hampshire County Hospital. Blair expressed that he was 'sickened and horrified' by what he saw on his computer and described his reaction as 'completely disgusted.' He stated that he had almost immediately shut down his computer and canceled his 30-day subscription upon discovering the images.

During the hearing, Blair denied that he had remained online for 20 to 25 minutes, asserting that he signed off immediately after viewing the material depicting a child and an adult engaged in sexual activity. He described the images as 'horrible' and told the committee, 'I was dealing with my demons.'

The panel’s chair, Mandie Jane Lavin, acknowledged that Blair had sought psychiatric help since December and had made significant efforts to continue his medical education and professional development. She noted that the committee was satisfied he had gained insight into his past behavior and had put effective support mechanisms in place. However, she also emphasized that guidelines suggest that no doctor registered as a sex offender should practice without restrictions. The maximum period for imposing conditions on his registration was limited to three years due to the severity of his conduct.

Blair was instructed that any direct patient contact should be confined solely to his duties within the Royal Navy, specifically with service personnel only. He was explicitly prohibited from having direct contact with children under 16, except in life-threatening emergencies where immediate medical intervention is necessary. Furthermore, Blair was required to inform the General Medical Council if he left his position in the Royal Navy. Currently, he is stationed at HMS Nelson in Portsmouth. Notably, in May 2002, Blair received a Commander-in-Chief’s commendation after being winched from a helicopter onto a pitching trawler in the Bay of Biscay to attend to a sick crew member, highlighting his ongoing military service despite past controversies.