Muirhead sentenced to 10 months

Former Collectors host Andy Muirhead has been sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment for child pornography crimes.

The Age reports the 36-year-old was charged with downloading 12,409 picture files and 24 video files, involving about 1930 children.

He initially denied the charges, but in July pleaded guilty to two counts of using a carriage service to access child pornography and one count of possessing child exploitation material.

Tasmanian Chief Justice Ewan Crawford said that, although it was not the worst of cases, the court must condemn what Muirhead did.

Justice Ewan Crawford rejected a psychologist’s assessment that he was not sexually attracted to children.

Muirhead was ordered to serve three months on a state charge of possessing child exploitation material, and then seven months in jail on two Commonwealth charges of using a carriage service to access child pornography.

He will be eligible for release after four months of the Commonwealth sentence, and then to be placed on a three-year good behaviour bond, and on the sex offenders’ register for five years.

He was first charged in June 2010 after the Australian Federal Police received information from Interpol. The Weekend Australian also featured an extensive article on the aspects of the case.

As well as hosting Collectors, Muirhead was a broadcaster on ABC Local Radio and a stand up comedian.