Anaesthetist Keith Greenland gets suspended sentence over child exploitation material

A doctor who worked as an anaesthetist at some of Queensland’s top hospitals has been given a suspended jail sentence over the possession of a huge amount of child exploitation material.

An anaesthetist who once worked at Queensland’s top hospitals has been sentenced for possessing thousands of videos and images of child pornography.

Keith Greenland, a former top doctor who stopped practising after he was charged, was today sentenced to two and a half years’ jail, wholly suspended, for possessing and distributing child exploitation material, and using a carriage service to access child pornography material.

The court heard the 62-year-old Hamilton anaesthesiologist had been at the height of his career when Queensland police discovered almost 14,000 videos and images at his home in January last year.

Of the materials, a number were of children aged between five and 13 in a partial state of undress, while the court heard Greenland possessed at least two separate videos of young girls, one as young as seven and the other as young as nine, dressed in intimate costumes.

Keith Benjamin Greenland leaves the Magistrates Court in Brisbane at a previous appearance. (AAP Image/Dan Peled) NO ARCHIVING

Among the materials was also one video of a young boy being run over by a car.

Representing Greenland, defence lawyer Kate Juhasz argued her client did not search for the video of violence towards the young boy, however said he happened to come across the video by chance.

The court heard Greenland - who had previously worked at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, and whose LinkedIn profile, now deactivated, stated he also worked for Wesley Anaesthesia and Pain Management - was at the top of his medical career at the time his computer was searched by police.

In his submission, Crown Prosecutor Hamish McIntyre said the offending was not a one-off occurrence.

“This isn’t a one-time offence born out of curiosity, he was obviously engaged in looking at this material for a relatively protracted period,” he said.

“It’s not a victimless crime.”

Judge Katherine McGinness took Greenland’s clear criminal history into account while sentencing, as well as his remorse for his actions.

Greenland was sentenced to two and a half years’ jail, wholly suspended, and ordered to complete 200 hours’ community service within 12 months.

While delivering her sentence, Judge McGinness said Greenland had nearly been given actual jail time.

“I hope he appreciates how close he came to going to jail today,” she said.

Greenland is also unable to leave Queensland without prior approval from authorities, and must regularly report to police.