Teacher Caroline Parry jailed for indecent child images
A teacher who shared images of child sex abuse with a paedophile she was having an online relationship with has been jailed for 18 months.
Caroline Parry, 45, was head of English at a Teesside secondary school when authorities found she was swapping "sick" fantasies with a man in the US.
The married mother admitted possessing indecent images of children when she appeared at Teesside Crown Court.
Sixteen of the 20 images were in the most serious category.
Judge Stephen Ashurst said Parry, who also admitted possessing extreme pornography, knew the man was a self-confessed paedophile.
She had talked to him online for a number of years and he called her his "fellow paedo".
Judge Ashurst said: "He described in explicit details his sexual preferences, for sex with children, in particular very young girls and also with their mothers, and he sent very disturbing still and moving images to you.
"Far from being repulsed by what you were either viewing or downloading, you encouraged him in his sick fantasies."
The judge said Parry, of Ryhill Walk in Ormesby, described the child victims as "cute" in messages to the man and said they appeared to be "loving" what was happening to them.
The court heard that in fact the images showed serious abuse by adults of children as young as two.
None of the victims were family members or pupils.
Rachael Dyson, defending, said Parry was "extremely remorseful for her actions" and keen to work with the authorities to address her behaviour.
The judge said Parry was regarded by the outside world as a "responsible mother" who was "well-respected" in her profession.
He described her "fall from grace" as "nothing less than spectacular".
"Your marriage is now in tatters, your home life disrupted, your career in ruins and, I am sure you will appreciate, all of this is self-inflicted," he added.
Parry was also put on the sex offenders register for 10 years and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.