A university worker who exchanged vile child abuse images with fellow perverts has been jailed.
Jeffrey Mein, a health and safety employee at Durham University, had a collection of illegal photographs and movies on his personal computer equipment and phone, which he would share online. Newcastle Crown Court heard his sickening collection included images of adults engaging in sex with animals.
The now 58-year-old lost his job at the university when his shocking secret life was exposed. Prosecutor Jane Waugh told the court police raided Mein's home in August last year and he immediately confessed what he had been doing.
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Officers found the disgusting haul of pictures and movies, along with graphic online chats when his computer devices were inspected. Miss Waugh told the court: "From the files recovered, the children depicted were between five and 17 years of age.
"Some depicted children as young as six performing sexual acts with adult males. There was also adult females taking part in sexual activity with animals.
"The defendant said over the course of four years he had shared indecent images with other paedophiles, by email and Kik and received images in return."
Mein, of no fixed address, admitted distributing indecent images, voyeurism, possessing extreme pornography, possessing prohibited images of children and three charges of making indecent images of children in relation to more than 400 illegal pictures and movies, across all categories of seriousness.
Judge Robert Adams sentenced him to two years and eight months behind bars. Mein must also sign the sex offenders register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.
The judge said Mein was of previous "exemplary character" and told him: "You work in health and safety, most recently for Durham University, from 2016. You lost your employment as a result of the offences and are currently unemployed."
Jennifer Coxon, defending, said Mein "held his hands up to what he has done" and sought counselling. Miss Coxon said alcohol played a "large part" in his offending. The court heard Mein handed in character references and has support.
