Former Germany and Real Madrid defender Christoph Metzelder was handed down a 10-month suspended sentence for distributing child pornography.

News agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported the 40-year-old Metzelder admitted some of the public prosecutor’s charges as his trial began at Dusseldorf District Court Thursday.

Metzelder was accused of possessing child and youth pornography and of forwarding 29 files to three different women.

The prosecutor told the court, for example, that Metzelder in August 2019 sent photos showing the sexual abuse of girls under 10 years old, dpa reported.

Metzelder enjoyed a successful playing career with Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and Schalke. He made 47 appearances for Germany, helping it to second-place finishes at the 2002 World Cup and 2008 European Championship.

After retirement, Metzelder worked briefly as a pundit for broadcaster ARD.

Metzelder stepped down as president of his hometown club TuS Haltern in September 2019, when the allegations against him were made public. He initially denied the charges.