Blake Ross: Registered sex offender admits working as medic

Police discovered a registered child sex offender was secretly working as a private medic around children for several months before a media investigation exposed his hidden life.

A registered child sex offender is facing jail for the second time after police discovered he was secretly working as a private medic for months in breach of his obligations.

Blake Ross, 27, was jailed for six months in September 2017 after he was found guilty of repeatedly having sex with three girls aged 14 and 15 at different locations across Sydney.

He was then placed on the child sex offender register for 15 years to expire in July 2032.

In May 2020 the St George Shire Standard exclusively revealed Ross received an 18-month conditional release order without conviction for failing to report to police for his annual check.

Following the Standard’s report police began investigating other aspects of Ross’ personal life, when they discovered he had been concealing his career as a medic for almost 12 months.

The investigation revealed Ross had been working as a medic at public events – including junior rugby league games – despite his status as a registered child sex offender and inability to obtain a Working With Children Check.

Blake Ross at Sutherland Local Court on Thursday. Picture: Liam Mendes

After obtaining his Diploma of Paramedical Science in 2019 Ross worked as a private medic for EMS Event Medical from June 6 2019 until he was dismissed on May 23 last year.

“While contracted to EMS Ross worked at approximately 140 events in full uniform,” agreed police facts state.

“A number of these events had children under the age of 18 present at them.”

Ross in his medic uniform.

Ross wore this uniform after he completed his diploma.

Police documents reveal Ross put a generic date into the Working With Children Check field on his EMS Event Medical job application form and requested to discuss the matter with his employer.

That conversation never occurred and Ross subsequently worked with EMS Event Medical without passing a criminal history check or a Working With Children Check until he was dismissed when they learnt of his criminal past in the Standard.

“At no time from June 6 2019 to May 23 2020 did Ross disclose to police that he was working in this capacity of employment with EMS,” agreed police facts state.

Ross after court. Picture: Liam Mendes

Court documents reveal Ross also worked as a contractor for Cronulla First Aid at De La Salle Junior Rugby Club games between August 21 and September 7 2019, and for Event Safety Services as a first aid officer between May 7 2019 and May 19 2020.

Again, Ross never disclosed either of those roles to police.

On Thursday the disgraced medic pleaded guilty to 12 counts of failing to comply with his reporting obligations as a registered child sex offender after the police investigation uncovered a trove of other breaches.

Among the breaches was Ross’ use of dating app Hinge on a number of occasions beginning on November 30 2019 and failing to notify police until June 30 2020.

He also failed to notify police of his intention to form a relationship with his five-year-old daughter, and met up with her twice in early 2020 while she was supervised by her mother.

Despite her mother’s support for Ross’ relationship with their daughter, Ross was required to notify police before contact occurred and he failed to do so until June 30 2020.

Ross in happier times.

Other breaches included two Instagram accounts, a Twitter account, a Reddit account and a work email address he failed to declare.

A further breach occurred when Ross took ownership of an EMS Event Medical car and failed to notify police about the temporary licence plates he used until his own custom plates were attached.

Police began probing Ross’ movements after the Standard’s article in May 2020 revealed he was studying a Bachelor of Paramedicine at Charles Sturt University.

“Police contacted Ross and he attended Sutherland police station on June 6 2020 to update his form to add that he was undertaking study at CSU,” agreed police facts state.

Ross returns to court in May. Picture: Liam Mendes

As the police investigation continued they also cited a subsequent news article expanding on Ross’ employment with EMS Event Medical in the Sydney Morning Herald.

At Sutherland Local Court on Thursday Magistrate Joy Boulos ordered a sentencing assessment report for Ross after a police prosecutor told the court he was “well and truly” facing a sentence of imprisonment.

Ross will be sentenced at the same court on May 3.