Feared corporate raider known as 'The Master' who's worth $200M admits possessing 53,000 images and 500 videos of vile child porn featuring kids as young as TWO - and now he could lose his knighthood
- Sir Ron Brierley pleads guilty to three counts of possessing child abuse material
- Brierley, 83, accused of having 207,000 images and videos of kids as young as 2
- He was arrested in December 2019 after a tip-off to police months earlier
- The New Zealand-born Brierley was once a feared international corporate raider
- Jacinda Ardern has called for Brierley to be stripped of his knighthoodOnce-feared corporate raider Sir Ron Brierley has pleaded guilty to possessing thousands of child sexual abuse images.
The New Zealand-born business titan, who has an estimated wealth of $200 million and lives in one of Sydney's most exclusive suburbs, faced 17 charges.
The 83-year-old pleaded guilty to three of the charges in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday, with the rest withdrawn.
His lawyer told the court he admitted to possessing some of the images, but disputed the actual number, which the charges put at 53,000.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern responded to the guilty plea by calling for Brierley to be stripped of his knighthood.
Once-feared corporate raider Sir Ron Brierley has pleaded guilty to possessing thousands of child sexual abuse images (pictured leaving a Sydney court after pleading guilty)
Brierley pleaded guilty to three of the charges in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday (pictured), with the rest withdrawn
One data storage device contained 16,15 images of child abuse material and another charge relates to photographs of girls as young as two in sexually suggestive poses.
Brierley was originally going to deny the charges but changed his mind ahead of the hearing on Wednesday, facing 10 years' jail for each charge.
Police alleged they found 53,000 images and more than 500 videos on Brierley's devices that were 'consistent with child abuse material'.
Brierley was stopped by Australian Border Force officers at Sydney Airport as he was preparing to board a flight to Fiji about 6.30am on December 17, 2019.
'The man's carry-on luggage was searched before the contents of his laptop and electronic storage devices were reviewed, which are alleged to have contained large amounts of child abuse material,' police said at the time.
Brierley was originally going to deny the charges but changed his mind ahead of the hearing on Wednesday, facing 10 years' jail for each charge
Brierley's arrest followed a four-month investigation by detectives after an anonymous tip-off in August 2019.
Court documents revealed the charges included possessing images and videos of girls between two to 15 years old in sexually suggestive poses.
Two of the six counts of possessing child abuse material relate to 'typed stories that spoke of the rape of children', according to court documents.
Sir Ron Brierley was a feared corporate raider in the 1980s. He is now charged with six counts of possessing child abuse material
Brierley last year sold off a two-level apartment in what was once the Sebel Townhouse Hotel in Elizabeth Bay, in Sydney's east, for $4,215,000.
The 14th floor three-bedroom residence, wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows, has sweeping views of Sydney Harbour and the central business district.
As part of his bail conditions Brierley has to live in his mansion in Wunulla Road, Point Piper, where his neighbours include former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.
That home has not sold since Brierley bought it for $3.65million in 1987 but one of Sydney's most knowledgeable real estate experts estimated it would be worth at least $30million.
Ronald Alfred Brierley was born in Wellington, New Zealand, and in 1961 founded Brierley Investments, where staff would refer to him as 'The Master'.
He became a feared investor - usually called a 'feared corporate raider' - famed for spotting companies which were rich in assets and poor in returns for investors.
Brierley would swoop in to take over such business and restructure them, cutting costs to return strong profits.
Brierley was knighted in 1988 and is a former trustee of the Sydney Cricket Ground. He retired from business in June last year after a career spanning 60 years
He was involved in moves on supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths, department store David Jones, Adelaide Steamship Company and Air New Zealand.
Brierley Investments became one of New Zealand's most successful listed companies; at its peak about 150,000 New Zealanders owned shares.
New Zealand's NBR 2019 Rich List estimated Brierley's wealth at $NZ220million ($AUD200,000) and after a six-decade career he announced his retirement in June last year.
Brierley, who was knighted in 1988, is a well-known cricket lover and is a former trustee of the Sydney Cricket Ground.
He is also considered to be one of the biggest stamp collectors in the world.
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