![Michael Stanley Cooper leaves court on a previous occasion. Picture by Hannah Neale Michael Stanley Cooper leaves court on a previous occasion. Picture by Hannah Neale](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/DaHt57RjVSvtvCBUgFzTWj/693312f0-d33a-44f8-94ed-24d3e02daf25.JPG/r285_263_2605_1630_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A sex offender, who had previously amassed the largest number of child abuse files seized in the ACT at the time, may set a new record with police analysing an estimated 10 million more suspected illegal images.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The case of Michael Stanley Cooper, 65, was before the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
Cooper, of Amaroo, faces one charge of possessing child abuse material. He is yet to enter pleas.
Prosecutor Courtney Tsapoutas asked the court for a 16-week adjournment to allow police time to assess about 35 terabytes of data which had been seized from Cooper.
READ ALSO:
She said officers had so far analysed five terabytes of the data which contained two million child abuse images and 25,000 videos.
Cooper's lawyer, Peter Woodhouse, said there were more than 10 million images expected in total.
"There is no doubt there is a lot of material that needs to be reviewed," Mr Woodhouse said.
The court previously heard Cooper had made admissions to possessing what was initially estimated to be 500,000 child abuse files, which he was said to have spent seven years amassing.
![Material seized by investigators from the Amaroo home. Picture ACT Policing Material seized by investigators from the Amaroo home. Picture ACT Policing](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/DaHt57RjVSvtvCBUgFzTWj/2c028bcd-4729-4a6d-8f87-3677543b25ac.jpg/r0_0_1200_674_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Cooper was arrested in early March after a lengthy police investigation.
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 United States Federal Bureau of Investigation linked Cooper to two video files uploaded to a website.
![Evidence bags containing seized items. Picture ACT Policing Evidence bags containing seized items. Picture ACT Policing](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/DaHt57RjVSvtvCBUgFzTWj/0fefba26-4428-4b26-ad49-95d7d2e69fd0.jpg/r0_0_1200_674_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Almost 700,000 child abuse images and videos were found on computers, disks, DVDs, devices and in A4 folders in his possession.
Mr Woodhouse previously said his client was "essentially a hermit". Cooper was previously granted bail for one month to "put his affairs in order", but is now behind bars on remand.
He is set to reappear in court on October 23.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark canberratimes.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram