Dr. Walsh, from Barnstaple, North Devon in the UK, had been downloading and distributing indecent images and movies of children, but erased the data using the programme CyberScrub.
Police suspected the 47-year-old married father had been engaged in illegal activity on his laptop, but after an initial computer and USP check officers didn't find any history of child pornography nor images of child abuse on his hardware.
Dr Jonathan Walsh sentenced to 3 years in jail for possessing, distributing & making indecent images of children https://t.co/33GcvPhfGI pic.twitter.com/0EdmalrQxl
— DevonCornwall Police (@DC_Police) March 20, 2017
Detectives from Devon and Cornwall Police sought help from Professor Tony Sammes, who after forensic analysis of his wi-fi router discovered that Dr. Walsh had downloaded and distributed scores of graphic child porn videos.
Prosecutor James Davis told the court a total of 27 movies were recovered, 26 were Category A, the most severe and one was Category B.
"Of the 27 child abuse movies that could be recovered Prof Sammes showed that 24 had been distributed in whole or in part on multiple occasions," he said.
"It is apparent that the defendant was fully aware of the e-Mule software working and had configured his router for increased download speed.
"He used CyberScrub, which has been described as military-grade, to remove all traces of these downloads. Prof Sammes concluded that about 20 gigabytes of material had been downloaded which is the equivalent of over 18 hours of playing time."
Erase Delete Wipe Overwrite Data – CyberScrub https://t.co/gJy7zFGuMl pic.twitter.com/Q847lSoS9x
— ValorDelWeb (@ValorDelWeb) October 26, 2016
Sentencing him at Exeter Crown Court, Judge Geoffrey Mercer QC said: "I have to sentence you for 17 offenses to which you have pleaded guilty.
"Ten counts of distributing indecent photos of children and seven counts of making or downloading indecent photos of children. Over a period of at least some months, the precise period is unclear, you were involved in downloading and distributing movies and images portraying the sexual abuse of children and you went to considerable lengths to try and conceal what it was you were doing.
Paediatrician Dr Jonathan Walsh pleaded guilty to possession of indecent images of children at Exeter Crown Court https://t.co/UeAO4rAy9R
— DevonCornwall Police (@DC_Police) February 14, 2017
"Your career is now, of course, at an end. To quote from just one of the letters you have written to me 'Due to my own actions I've lost my job, career, livelihood, reputation and brought a great deal of harm to those around me who I love.'
"Having regard to the volume and in particular the extreme nature of the indecent images involved and the extreme nature of the abuse of children portrayed the minimum appropriate sentence for the distribution offences after trial would be four years. Giving you credit for your pleas of guilty I reduce that to one of three years in prison."
Dr. Walsh, who treated children at North Devon District hospital in Barnstaple, had his home raided in September 2015 but has since moved to Lancashire.
He initially initially told police he had only viewed adult pornography and that any images of children would have been accidental.
He also maintained his innocence at his first appearance before magistrates in August last year and the matter was due to go to trial.
Dr. Walsh's attorney Lee Gledhill said the eMule peer sharing software automatically shared files with other people and Walsh had not deliberately sent them to pedophiles.
The disk-wiping CyberScrub software was found installed on his Lenovo laptop and according to its product description "erases evidence of online activity (history, videos, e-mail, chat, newsgroups, pictures, P2P apps) and securely erases files beyond recovery."
The company says it is "used by many federal agencies."
