Michael Stanley Cooper granted bail in ACT Magistrates Court

Magistrate James Lawton granted Michael Stanley Cooper bail in the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday.

Defence lawyer Peter Woodhouse successfully applied for his client to be released for one month to allow him to put his affairs in order.

Cooper, who previously worked as a computer and printer repair man, was ordered to hand himself in to the court on June 1 to be placed back into custody.

Cooper, of Amaroo, faces one charge of possessing child abuse material. He is yet to enter a plea.

Mr Woodhouse told the court his client had "very limited relationships" and was "essentially a hermit".

He argued any risk of reoffending could be ameliorated by restricting Cooper's access to the internet.

The lawyer said a psychologist's report had found there was "no likelihood of him offending as a contact offence on a child".

The court previously heard Cooper had made admissions to possessing 500,000 child abuse files, which he is said to have spent the past seven years amassing.

Cooper, 65, was arrested in early March after a lengthy investigation by ACT Policing.

It began in October 2022, when officers examined a series of internet protocol addresses associated with the downloading of child abuse material.

This led police to Cooper's home, where investigators claim to have found DVDs, USBs, computers and external hard drives that contained child abuse material.

"Some of these items were hidden throughout the residence," ACT Policing said in a statement.

In 2011, Cooper was convicted after having amassed the largest haul of child abuse material seized in the territory at the time.

He had been charged a year earlier after the US Federal Bureau of Investigation linked Cooper to two video files uploaded to a website.

Almost 700,000 child abuse images and videos were found on computers, disks, DVDs, devices and in A4 folders in his possession.

"That aspect of his life has continued from 2010 onwards to now," Mr Woodhouse told the court on Monday.

Commonwealth prosecutor Libby Cragg argued the man should not be granted bail.

"He is facing the almost certain prospect of a very lengthy stay in prison," Ms Cragg said.

"Over a period of years, [Cooper has] amassed a very large amount of child abuse material."

She told the court Cooper held "very concerning attitudes towards child abuse material and offending of this nature".

Ms Cragg argued Cooper failed to recognise any harm or wrongdoing caused by his alleged offending.

She said viewing child abuse material was "something of a hobby", and "a compulsion" for Cooper.

"[There are] real concerns about Mr Cooper's willingness to comply with any bail conditions in relation to this offending," Ms Cragg said.

Mr Lawton granted Cooper bail, saying his electronic devices had been seized by police.

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"There seems little ability for him to access the child abuse material again at his premises," Mr Lawton said.

"His MO is to access this material via the internet. He is not an immediate risk to members of the community.

"There are no witnesses to intimidate. The evidence has already been obtained by the authorities.

"It seems there are limited rehabilitation options in the community."

Cooper was released from jail with conditions not to access the internet unless in the company of his solicitor. He was also ordered not to own more than one mobile phone.

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