Former trade commissioner pleads guilty to child porn offence
Former diplomat, trade commissioner and University of Canberra academic Anthony Mitchener has pleaded guilty to possessing child exploitation material
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He was once a high-level diplomat, trade commissioner and University of Canberra academic with a career most public servants could only ever dream of.
Now Anthony Mitchener is facing up to 15 years behind bars after police uncovered child exploitation material when they raided his Isaacs home in November.
Mitchener has pleaded guilty to using a carriage service to transmit child pornography to himself and possessing child exploitation material.
At ACT Supreme Court on Thursday, Justice Michael Elkaim delayed sentencing to allow for an assessment of whether he can serve his time in the community.
However, Justice Elkaim put the 59-year-old on notice he is mostly likely headed to jail and he continued strict bail conditions.
“My initial position is that full time imprisonment is a must and having seen those photos I would need to be persuaded otherwise,” Justice Elkaim said.
But he agreed to allow the assessment after his barrister John Purnell SC tendered comparative cases where non-custodial sentences had been imposed.
Mitchener’s online biography states he was an Australian diplomat in Thailand and Indonesia as well as a Trade and Investment Commissioner to Indonesia.
He has taught at several Australian universities including the University of Technology Sydney, University of Canberra and Australian National University.
The Australia Indonesia Business Council confirmed Mitchener resigned from his role as the council’s ACT Chairman when “this matter first emerged”.
A spokeswoman for the University of Canberra said his contract ended in 2011.
“He is not a current employee nor an adjunct professor,” she said.
The Asia Education Foundation, where he was the Cross Cultural Communications and Management Director, also confirmed he is no longer affiliated with the foundation.
The highly accomplished public servant and Asia expert was seconded to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to work on the development and implementation of the Australia in the Asian Century White Paper.
Mr Purnell said he had now been booked in for a sex offender’s course.
Justice Elkaim allowed sentencing to be delayed until December 11 to allow him to be assessed for an intensive corrections order (ICO), a type of prison sentence served in the community.
Justice Elkaim said he had “a good deal of difficulty” with that “concept” after seeing the child exploitation material.
“Having seen a sample of the photos, that difficulty is enhanced,” he said.
“However I think I’m bound to at least give the defence the opportunity for an assessment.
“If it comes back saying he’s not suitable for an ICO, that will be the end of the matter.
“If it comes back saying he is suitable then I will be essentially putting the defence on notice that the road to me adopting that course will be difficult.”