A trainee teacher who used research computers at Derby University to download child pornography has been jailed for three years.
Paul Grocott, 28, was told the images recovered were of "the most disgusting kind."
Derby Crown Court heard on Friday a total of more than 1,200 indecent images were found at the university, at Grocott's home in Upper Boundary Road, in Derby and at his mother's address in Stoke-on-Trent.
Grocott will be placed on a sex offenders' register for life after he pleaded guilty to 13 specimen charges of making indecent photographs of children, one of possession and one of distribution.
The court heard Grocott had been looking at child pornography sites for about six months and he had also distributed some of the material to others.
Prosecutor Jonathan Dee told the court Grocott was investigated after an IT support assistant at the university discovered child porn internet sites had been accessed.
Grocott told police he had been in contact with a person in America who was sending him pictures.
Sonal Ahya, defending, said Grocott knew he would be going to prison, but deserved credit for his previous good character and his guilty pleas at an early stage.
Miss Ahya said Grocott's hopes of becoming a teacher had now ended.
Judge Andrew Hamilton told Grocott he had used a public facility to further his sexual desires and had been involved in child pornography of the most disgusting kind.
The judge also imposed an extended sentence of a further three years.