Blake Ross: sex offender jailed over secret medic work

An “industrious” child sex offender medic illegally sought out work at events where he knew there would be children, including junior sports and festivals, a court heard.

A registered child sex offender who concealed his employment as an emergency medic from police for two years has been jailed for a second time.

Blake Ross was jailed for six months in 2017 and became a registered child sex offender after he was convicted of having sexual relationships with 14 and 15-year-old girls when he was then 22.

Ross, 27, wound up before Sutherland Local Court again when police discovered he had concealed his employment as an emergency medic in defiance of his conditions.

Blake Ross, 27.

Blake Ross in his uniform

Police facts reveal Ross worked at more than 140 events between June 2018 and June 2020 including music festivals and sporting events before police uncovered his deceit.

Most of these events were with Smeaton Grange-based company EMS Event Medical, while others were with Event Safety Services and Cronulla First Aid.

At Sutherland Local Court, his barrister Cathy Doosey conceded Ross deliberately withheld that information.

“He did fail, he was working at events he should never have been working at,” Ms Doosey said.

“He was working in fields where there might be children and that fact was withheld from police, which is obviously concerning.”

Ross pleaded guilty to 12 breaches of his conditions as a registered child sex offender, which in addition to his employment also included comparatively minor breaches related to social media use and car registration.

Blake Ross depicted at Sutherland Local Court. Picture: Liam Mendes

Ms Doosey told the court Ross’s breaches were not an effort to commit further sexual offences – but that a report showed he was then in a state of “denial” about his criminal history’s implications for his future career.

However, police prosecutor Sgt McGee said Ross’s offences demonstrated a blatant disregard for the system designed to protect children from future trauma and harm.

“It’s a concerted effort by an industrious individual to circumvent a system that was there for the safety of the community,” Sgt McGee said.

“The accused sought to put himself in places where children are, and the court cannot send a message that you can put yourself in a position of trust around children while these orders are in place.”

Ross was jailed for a minimum of nine months.

Magistrate Les Mabbutt convicted Ross and sentenced him to 12 months’ imprisonment with a nine-month non-parole period.

He was given convictions and no further penalties for breaching a 2016 community corrections order in relation to his initial sexual offences and a 2019 conditional release order for a prior breach where he failed to report to police for an annual check on time.

Ross faces the district court in July.

“He went to 140 events, not telling police where he was employed and if he had told the police he would not have had that employment,” Mr Mabbutt said.

“He made two deliberate decisions after not disclosing his convictions (to his employers) not to tell the police where he was working.”

Mr Mabbutt granted Ross bail ahead of a planned appeal in Sydney District Court on July 7.

Ross will have to report to police daily, reside with his parents in Kirrawee and abstain from using a smartphone or working in the emergency medic field.