A DOCTOR has been warned he could face jail after admitting trying to download child pornography from the internet.

When anaesthetist Carl Pritchard appeared before a judge at Swindon Crown Court he pleaded guilty to seven counts of attempting to make an indecent image of a child.

The 35-year-old, who used to live in Sheerwold Close, Lower Stratton, had tried to download the material between August 24, 2001 and May 22 last year.

The judge adjourned the case and warned him all sentencing options were open. Pritchard was given bail.

His employer, Southampton General Hospital, says it is reviewing his position and he could be struck off by the General Medical Council.

Alan Fuller, defending, told the court that the matters were not the most serious and insisted his client might have received a caution had he admitted any wrongdoing when he was interviewed by police.

He urged the judge to consider dealing with the matter by a fine or discharge, but the case was put off for reports.

Judge Tom Longbotham ordered that Pritchard, of Idsworth Road, Copnor, Portsmouth, must register as a sex offender.

A Southampton University Hospitals Trust spokesman said "Dr Pritchard is a specialist registrar in anaesthetics who worked at a number of places, including Southampton, as part of his training and then gained a national training scheme placement here.

"The placement ran from August 2003 but by then Dr Pritchard had been placed on special leave pending the outcome of the police investigation.

"Our records show he has not actually practised here for the past year.

"His placement finishes at the end of September. We will review his position with us in the light of today's judgement.

"A criminal conviction of this type does not automatically lead to dismissal but would preclude him working with children."

Pritchard would normally work with adult patients but sometimes he would treat children, though there would always be other members of the surgical team present.

Tom Morton