Call for safeguarding review of places where GP with child abuse images worked

A child protection expert has said he was “shocked” by the sentence given to a GP convicted of having more than 200 indecent images of children – and called for a safeguarding review to be undertaken any practice where he worked.

Alan Trevor Campbell, of Silverbrook Park in Newbuildings, County Londonderry, was sentenced on Tuesday to 75 hours of community service and given a two-year probation order.

Jim Gamble, chief executive of the INEQE Safeguarding Group, said that Campbell was “operating in a position of trust” and he breached that trust.

The office of the Lady Chief Justice said it would not appropriate to comment on an individual case.

The office added that the sentencing framework, set in legislation by the Department of Justice, includes the maximum sentencing for a particular crime and sets out a “range of circumstances which a judge must consider before imposing a sentence”.

Campbell had been working as a GP at a medical practice in Northern Ireland when he was arrested in January 2022.

He was suspended from the Northern Ireland Primary Medical Performers List in August 2024 and from the General Medical Council in September 2024.

The date of his initial registration was 2014.

The charges relate to dates between October 2014 and January 2022.

Campbell pleaded guilty to 11 charges relating to possessing and making indecent images and videos of children.

Speaking on BBC News NI’s Good Morning Ulster programme, Mr Gamble said there should be “a significant safeguarding review” of any practices where Campbell worked “to identify and engage with every parent and every child” with whom he had contact.

The photographs and videos found on six of Campbell’s devices were classed as category A, B and C – with A the most serious, denoting images involving sexual activity or sadism.

Gamble said he was “disappointed” with the sentencing guidelines.

He said category A images and videos involved “children being exploited, being hurt and harmed in the most unbelievable way”.

“If I were to go into the true detail no one would eat their breakfast today and no one would eat their breakfast for the next year.

“It’s abhorrent.”

In a statement, the Office of the Lady Chief Justice said the sentencing framework was set in law by the Department of Justice.

“This includes the maximum sentencing which a particular crime attracts but also sets out a range of circumstances which a judge must consider before imposing a sentence including which court tier the offence is prosecuted in,” the statement said.

“The Director of Public Prosecutions may refer the matter to the Court of Appeal if he considers the sentencing to be too lenient and the offences fall within the category prescribed in legislation taken forward by the Department of Justice”.

Mr Gamble said the justice minister should review the law and write to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to encourage them to review Campbell’s sentence.

The judge also imposed a five year Sexual offences Prevention Order and told Campbell that he will have to remain on the police sex offenders register for five years.

Following his sentencing, the Department of Health said: “The department will continue to act in the public interest and to protect members of the public.”