RED DEER, Alta. (CP) � A Red Deer man has been jailed after an outraged burglar spotted massive amounts of child pornography on his computer and called police.

William Mitchell, who pleaded guilty earlier this year in Red Deer provincial court, was charged in October 2005 after RCMP, acting on an anonymous tip, searched his home. An agreed statement says that someone had broken into Mitchell�s residence and taken a video camera. The camera, the tipster said, had images of child pornography and would be left on the steps of a church.

Police retrieved the camera and soon realized the burglar had videotaped a computer monitor displaying images of child pornography.

Following the address printed on the burglar�s note, police seized computer equipment containing 13,315 pornographic images.

Mitchell will remain in jail until he is sentenced on Dec. 1.

Cpl. Greg Brown of Red Deer City RCMP said outside the court that the burglary remains unsolved.

The images on the camera would, of course, be considered tainted in Texas, since they were obtained illegally (via a trespass). But, it is reassuring to see some criminals have certain moral standards. Maybe the burglary is purposely remaining unsolved?

It just goes to show you how foolish Texas law is. Do we really want to discourage civic minded burglars like the Red Deer Burglar, from attempting to do their civic duty?

An interesting case on this topic is Jenschke v. State, 147 SW 3rd 398. There is a lot of spinning and twisting in moth directions by the court.