A police worker was discovered with more than 2,000 “grossly offensive” pictures and videos of child abuse.
Civilian Ian Curtis learnt where to find his disgusting stash during his 25-year stint at South Wales Police, where he would handle 999 calls from the public.
Officers arrested him as he headed to work at the police headquarters in Bridgend, discovering obscene images on a laptop, USB sticks and DVDs.
Prosecuting, Robin Rouch, told Swansea Crown Court there were 295 moving images and 111 still photos of children being abused in Category A - the most serious level of abuse.
There were a further 800 images in category B and more than 1,000 in Category C. In addition, there were also 148 images of extreme pornography.
The offending was said to have been carried out between 2009 and 2017, after Curtis had been sent on a work-related computer course, where he learned about the ‘dark web’.
Mitigating, Dan Heard, said Curtis, of Samlet Road in Llansamlet, Swansea, had an addictive personality, and was addicted to gambling.
He added: “Having had his curiosity piqued on how to discover these images, be had become addicted to it.
“He struggles to understand why he had done it.”
He added Curtis had denied ‘any sexual gratification’ from the images.
Judge Geraint Walters described his collection as a ‘library’, and said: “It is not uncommon for someone doing this to claim they get nothing out of it. We know that is rubbish.”
He was ordered to serve 12 months on all four charges of making obscene images. He will serve the four sentences concurrently - at the same time.
Judge Walters said: “In my judgement this was a significant quantity of the gravest images available on the internet of children not just being abused, but being grossly abused.
“It is often overlooked in theses cases and it should not be, that the videos of real moving pictures are of real children being grossly abused by adults.
“They were victims when subject to that abuse and each time someone views those images they are further to be regarded as victims.
“A number of the children were as young as five, and some even younger than that... being abused by grown men for their own perverted pleasure.
“What is truly remarkable... in respect of your employment with South Wales Police, you were dealing with members of the public reporting crimes day in and day out, [while] in the secrecy of your own home your interest was in the dark web.
“It is an appropriate title because it is hard to imagine getting any darker.
“There were an astonishing number of grossly offensive videos.”
Curtis was also told he would be put on the sexual offenders register, and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order.
Following the hearing, chief superintendent Dorian Lloyd said: "South Wales Police employs almost 5,000 police officers and members of support staff. The overwhelming majority of our employees work tirelessly to serve their communities with honesty and integrity demonstrating the very highest levels of professional conduct at all times.
“Members of the public should be reassured that the force’s Professional Standards Department takes any complaints or information relating to individual conduct extremely seriously and will always ensure they are thoroughly investigated and appropriate action is taken against those responsible.
“In regards to Ian Curtis, he was suspended immediately after his arrest – and post this criminal prosecution – South Wales Police will progress the misconduct process.”
