Reading man Michael Mitchell guilty of making 1,000 indecent images of children

Michael Mitchell, of Havergate Way, Reading, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of children at a hearing at Reading Magistrates' Court this morning (Thursday, April 8).

He also confessed to possessing six extreme pornographic images featuring sex with an animal.

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The court heard how the 41 year old was arrested in November 2019 after police were alerted to his activity via his IP address.

Michael Mitchell appeared at Reading Magistrates Court

When officers arrived at his address, Mitchell told them: “The items you will be interested in will be in my room”, according to prosecutor Benjamin May.

After searching his property, officers found:

• 368 ‘category A’ images of children, the most severe and explicit type of photographs

• 320 ‘category B’ images of children

• 333 ‘category C’ images of children

Six images which involved a person performing a sex act with a live or dead animal.

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The images were made between January 2016 and November 2019.

Because he pleaded guilty Mitchell is required to notify officers at Reading Police Station he has committed a sexual offence.

He will also be forced to inform police if he stays at an address where an under-18 is living in the future.

The defendant was not sentenced by District Judge Sam Goozee, who told him he should receive “greater punishment” than what could be handed to him at magistrates' court.

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He has been remanded on unconditional bail and will be given a date for sentencing at Reading Crown Court.

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