A West Australian child psychiatrist who made indecent recordings of children in Perth and overseas has received a suspended jail term of 18 months.

Aaron Voon, 42, was arrested in Perth last year, after returning from a trip to Edmonton, Canada, where he had been caught using his mobile phone to film a young boy in a public toilet.

Voon was later charged in relation to similar recordings made in Perth and overseas in Queenstown, New Zealand, and San Francisco, in the United States.

A total of 12 videos and 409 images, derived from the films, were found on electronic devices in Voon's office and Mount Pleasant home.

Some of the videos depicted close-up images of boys using urinals, focused on their genitals.

Voon had pleaded guilty to eight counts of producing or possessing child exploitation material and child pornography.

In sentencing Voon, District Court Judge Alan Troy said Voon's "long-standing and relatively severe" mental impairment had reduced his moral culpability in offending, but had not eliminated it.

"You must have known what you were doing was wrong," Judge Troy said.

Jail 'more onerous' for Voon

The court heard Voon had been diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder and autism spectrum disorder after his arrest.

It also heard Voon would find jail "more onerous" than other people, having been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after he was remanded in custody in Canada.

In his decade-long career as a child psychiatrist, Voon treated hundreds of patients under the age of 10.

He previously worked at the Successful Development and Therapy Centre, in Perth's south, but gave a voluntary undertaking to authorities not to practice medicine until a decision was made on his future.

Voon's lawyer told the court his client was "deeply remorseful" and "deeply ashamed" of his behaviour.

Expert reports said Voon was at an "extremely low" risk of reoffending, his lawyer said, adding that his client was no longer registered as a doctor and planned to pursue a career in research if he returned to work.

Voon was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended until June 2019.