Cardinal George Pell has spent his first night behind bars at the Melbourne Assessment Prison after having his bail revoked in the County Court yesterday.

Key points: George Pell was convicted of five child sex offences in December

George Pell was convicted of five child sex offences in December He will be sentenced on March 13

He will be sentenced on March 13 He withdrew an application for bail on Wednesday and was remanded in custody

Pell, 77, was remanded in custody for the first time on five child sex offences, which he was convicted of last December.

A jury found him guilty of sexually abusing two choirboys when he was archbishop of Melbourne in the late 1990s.

Pell will be sentenced on March 13.

"Goodbye you creep," a woman called out as Pell walked from the dock and into custody accompanied by corrections officers.

Pell had been granted bail after his conviction in December last year, because he required knee surgery in Sydney.

He is now being held at the prison, which sits on the edge of Melbourne's CBD near Southern Cross Station and a few blocks from the County Court.

He entered via a side entrance, through a secure airlock, with a rolling metal door on either side.

Prison life begins

Upon entry, Pell was expected to have undergone the same process as all prisoners, which would have involved him handing over his belongings, signing a receipt and awaiting assessment.

The process would have included basic checks on his physical and mental condition and whether he was taking any medication.

Pell was taken to the Melbourne Assessment Prison. ( ABC News: Ben Knight )

What happens at Melbourne Assessment Prison: Upon arrival, prisoners have their identity confirmed and are measured and photographed

Upon arrival, prisoners have their identity confirmed and are measured and photographed They hand over their personal property and clothing to be stored while they are in custody

They hand over their personal property and clothing to be stored while they are in custody Prisoners undergo a strip-search by prison officers, are given prison-issue clothing and shower

Prisoners undergo a strip-search by prison officers, are given prison-issue clothing and shower They nominate people for their visit and phone call lists

They nominate people for their visit and phone call lists They are entitled to one phone call to a friend, relative or legal representative

An assessment would have taken into consideration his personal safety.

The risk was likely to be high, given his public profile and the nature of the crimes of which he has been convicted.

Offenders against children are often regarded as targets for violence within the prison system.

Prisoners are allowed one pair of shoes, one pair of pyjamas, and six pairs of underwear and socks.

They are also allowed six books and six magazines.

Clothing is also restricted to four tops and four pairs of jeans, trousers or shorts.

The only exception is the suit of clothes George Pell has chosen to wear to court next month for sentencing.

Pell would also have been given an opportunity to nominate people for his visit and telephone call lists and would have been allowed to make one phone call.

As he left the court, Pell's lawyer, Robert Richter QC was asked how he thought Pell would go in prison.

"Well, I hope," he responded.

The boys were abused at Melbourne's St Patrick's Cathedral. ( ABC News: Danielle Bonica )

'Callous, brazen offending'

Pell's pre-sentencing hearing was told his crimes each carried maximum jail terms of 10 years.

Prosecutor Mark Gibson SC told Chief Judge Peter Kidd that Pell's offending involved two vulnerable boys and should be classed as serious.

"These acts … were, in our submission, humiliating and degrading towards each boy and gave rise to distress in each boy," he said.

Mr Richter said the crimes were "no more than a plain vanilla sexual penetration case where the child is not volunteering or actively participating".

But Judge Kidd said that he did view it as a "serious example of this kind of offending".

Lawyers acting for Pell said in a statement on Tuesday that he continued to maintain his innocence "despite the unprecedented media coverage".

The statement said Pell had not applied for bail because he believed it was "appropriate for him to await sentencing" and an appeal had already been lodged.

"Like any person he has the right to pursue his legal rights and will do so."

Mr Richter told the court an appeal against the conviction had been lodged on three grounds, including that the jury verdict was unreasonable.

He said he also planned to argue the jury was unlawfully constituted and that the defence should have been allowed to play an animated video to the jury during the closing address.

The animation consisted of dots moving around a floor plan of the cathedral depicting the movements of the many witnesses after mass.

At trial, Mr Richter claimed it illustrated you would have to ignore the evidence of a number of witnesses for the two choirboys to have found themselves alone in the priest's sacristy.

But the judge wouldn't allow it, ruling it was based on a degree of speculation and guesswork.

Sorry, this video has expired Vatican spokesman responds to 'painful news' of Pell's conviction

The Vatican's first response to the conviction came late on Tuesday night.

Acting Holy See spokesman Alessandro Gisotti read a statement to reporters at the Vatican but did not take questions.

"This is painful news that, as we are well aware, has shocked many people, not only in Australia," he said.

"We await the outcome of the appeals process, recalling that Cardinal Pell maintains his innocence and has the right to defend himself until the last stage of appeal.

"That is, while awaiting the definitive assessment of the facts, as is the norm, Cardinal Pell is prohibited from exercising public ministry and from having any voluntary contact whatsoever with minors."

Vatican investigation could lead to Pell's defrocking

On Wednesday, the Vatican confirmed it was investigating Pell, a process which could result in his removal from the priesthood.

The Holy See press office said George Pell was no longer Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy.

"After the guilty verdict in the first instance concerning Cardinal Pell, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith will now handle the case following the procedure and within the time established by canonical norm," Mr Gisotti said.

Editor's note: On Tuesday April 7, 2020, the High Court in a unanimous decision upheld Cardinal Pell's appeal and quashed his convictions on all five charges.