Former ABC personality Andy Muirhead has told of his shame and sorrow over his involvement in child pornography.
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In his first statement since being charged with child pornography offences in 2010, Muirhead, 36, expressed his deep regret at hurting everyone who knows him - including his ABC audiences.
"What I did was shameful, reckless and stupid," he said in a letter to the Tasmanian Supreme Court where today he pleaded guilty to two charges of accessing the internet for child pornography, and one of possessing child pornography.
"I have spent the last two years going over it in my mind, night and day, and I doubt I will ever stop feeling ashamed of what I did," Muirhead said.
The one-time host of the TV series The Collectors, and local breakfast radio, accessed child pornography from a computer in his Hobart home through file-sharing software, prosecutor Maitland Lincoln told the court.
Muirhead had accessed 12,409 picture files and 24 videos, and possessed 876 picture files when he was arrested, Mr Lincoln said.
These involved an estimated 2173 children, as young as three. "The things I saw on my computer were vile and disgusting," Muirhead said.
"The people depicted in those images were real people with the right to safe and happy lives.
"I can't imagine how much hurt has been caused to the people depicted in those images, through no fault of their own. I acknowledge that, in viewing such images I contributed to their hurt and suffering."
Muirhead said he realised he had disappointed everyone who knew him.
"My family and friends, my work colleagues and the hundreds of thousands of people who trusted me and invited me into their homes each Friday night via the television program Collectors or listened and shared conversations with me on ABC radio.
"Those conversations and connections with individuals and communities around the country meant the world to me, and it will always be my deep regret that I let so many people down in such a stupid and pointless way. For that I am truly sorry."
Muirhead's counsel, Kim Baumeler, submitted to Chief Justice Ewan Crawford that, despite jail being seen as generally appropriate for Muirehad's crimes, his sentence should be suspended.
Ms Baumeler said the vast majority of images were at the lower end of a scale of child pornography offence.
The case is continuing.
