Kirrawee grandfather Bruce Mitchelson pleads guilty to possession of child abuse and bestiality material
A grandfather, known for his famous toy-covered car, told police he had ‘too much spare time’ when police found hundreds of child abuse videos and images saved on his phone after he posted the material on Facebook.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A Sydney City Council worker known for his teddy-covered car was caught with hundreds of child abuse and bestiality videos on his phone after being dobbed in by Facebook, a court has heard.
Bruce Mitchelson, 65, faced the Downing Centre District Court on Tuesday supported by his sister after pleading guilty to possessing 527 files of child abuse material and five videos of bestiality material.
Mitchelson was also charged with one count of accessing child abuse material but has yet to enter a plea.
It comes more than a decade after the Kirrawee grandfather earned the title of Sydney’s ‘most bizarre car’ owner when he covered his Toyota Corolla in 500 stuffed toys, including a string of bumper-bar giraffes, Cronulla Sharks toys, and a Kermit the Frog toy perched on the roof.
Court documents state NSW police received a tip-off from Facebook in June 2023 that Mitchelson had uploaded child abuse material to the social media site.
When officers seized his Samsung phone in September 2023, they discovered 208 images and 319 videos of child abuse saved to his photo gallery, including screenshots and video captures involving children as young as three years old.
Upon his arrest, Mitchelson allegedly told police he had been participating in forums since 2020 where users would share child abuse material since because he had “too much spare time” and “well, maybe it seemed like a good idea at the time”.
Mitchelson said he would make comments on images posted by other users such as “that’s nice, that’s young” and “that’s pretty,” but initially compared his interest in the material to “looking at a car crash, you can’t look away”.
He went on to deny ever touching or attempting to meet up with a child, stating: “I couldn’t live with myself … I wouldn’t want to inflict (this) on anyone else”.
In court on Tuesday, Commonwealth prosecutor Ms Hegna said doctors’ reports indicated Mitchelson had a “sexual interest in children” despite his “limited insight into the motivations and proclivities” of his offending.
Ms Hegna submitted Mitchelson was remorseful but struggled to accept the sexual nature of his offending which posed an issue for prospects of rehabilitation
Mitchelson’s defence, led by barrister Adam Williams and instructing solicitor Jason Sirrie, conceded the material was “callous and degrading” and their client had “contributed to the market of (child abuse) material”.
Mr Williams also submitted the volume of material and sophistication of offending paled in comparison to other cases.
“There was no real sophistication whatsoever … the offending came to light due to the use of a social media platform on the conventional internet,” Mr Williams said.
“And while there are a significant number of files in relation to the number of children involved, it’s in the hundreds, not the thousands or hundreds of thousands.”
Judge Kara Shead noted the merit of the submissions but could not accept the points made about the volume of material.
“I understand, but the harm to children caused in the production of these images [involves] terrible harm to hundreds of children … it’s significantly serious that children as young as the children predicted in those images are subjected to such abhorrent conduct and harm,” Ms Shead said.
Ms Shead adjourned the matter and continued Mitchelson’s bail, with time afforded for both parties to work out arrangements for possible concurrent sentences and release conditions.
He will return to the District Court for sentencing on January 31.
Woman critically injured after falling from balcony
Police are investigating after a woman, who has since been airlifted to hospital in a critical condition, fell from a second-floor balcony in Sydney’s west.
Read more
Man found dead after house fire in the state’s Hunter Region
A man has died following a house fire in the Hunter Region on Sunday afternoon, while a firefighter and a member of the public were treated for smoke-related issues at the scene.
Read more