Allan George Matthews, 59, pleaded guilty to possession of child abuse material at Armidale Local Court on Tuesday.

Detectives seized Matthews’ computer in Glen Innes in June 2016 during an investigation into the unauthorised surgery.

They then discovered images showing children under 10 years old in sexually explicit poses and others covered in semen.

Defence solicitor Douglas Hannaway said his client met someone online and it was that person who gave Matthews the USB containing the images.

Mr Hannaway maintained his client had a number of USB drives at home and didn’t intend to copy the images onto his computer.

“I said [to Matthews], ‘what did you do with them, did you look at them?’ He said no,” he told the court.

Magistrate Michael Holmes said he found that “hard to believe” and that the images were “disgusting”.

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Matthews’ solicitor Mr Hannaway told the court his client has to disguise himself in sunglasses and a cap as a result of the media attention given to the unauthorised surgery in May 2016.

The incident occurred when a 52-year-old man posted an online advertisement requesting assistance with a medical issue, and Matthew’s agreed to perform the hotel surgery.

A week later the victim attended hospital with complications as a result.

“He has been vilified around Australia, sacked from numerous jobs, received broken ribs from which he still has soft tissue damage,” Mr Hannaway said.

“He appeared in newspapers in England and the United States of America.

“He has been pursued down the street by the media … one reporter ran after him in her high heels all the way down the street asking him questions.”

Matthews received a good behaviour bond for the unauthorised surgery, as there was no Australian case law on the matter it would have ended up in the High Court, Mr Hannaway said. 

Mr Holmes said the previous matter had no impact on his decision to send Matthews to prison, and he understood it had caused him a great deal of distress.

“I do take into account he has suffered greatly for the commission of that offence, public disapproval and assaults,” he said.

Matthews was sentence to 12 months imprisonment with a non-parole period of six months.

He was given a 25 per cent discount for his guilty plea and will be eligible for release in September.