Top cop jailed for child porn

A FORMER federal policeman has been jailed for five months on child pornography charges by a magistrate who said a ruined career and community ridicule were not punishment enough.

Michael Edward Hatch, 38, will also be required to be of good behaviour for another 18 months after his release.

Hatch's lawyers immediately lodged an appeal against the sentence handed down in the ACT Magistrates Court today.

Hatch was caught in the global investigation codenamed Operation Centurion which has netted more than 100 Australians.

Magistrate Karen Fryar told the court she could not be certain Hatch would not reoffend.

She said a search warrant on Hatch's Canberra home in March 2008 revealed about 20 images of child pornography on his computer's hard disk.

Further searches of his computer revealed about 50 more images of girls as young as four involved in various sexual activities with adults.