A financial adviser has been convicted of hoarding abhorrent pictures and videos relating to the torture of babies and children as young as 18 months old.
The financial adviser's collection was so grotesque that two investigating officers sought professional help to overcome what they had seen.
Dunmow-based Russell Jameson, 70, came before Chelmsford Crown Court to be sentenced for his crimes.
Before proceedings began, Judge Patricia Lynch QC said: "Members of the public may well come into court but they may well wish they had not," referencing the disturbing nature of the charges.
The defendant, of Ongar Road, pleaded guilty to all 16 counts relating to sexual offences, some of which involved children.
Prosecuting, Mark Halsey revealed how Jameson's stockpile of abuse images was harrowing for the officers who investigated him.
"This was the worst collection they have seen," he said. "Two officers have received counselling as a result of the material they have looked at."
Jameson had gathered 1,802 Category A indecent images of children, the most serious category of offending, including videos.
His collection, which dated back to January 2013, also included cartoon or CGI images of the sexual abuse of children and adults, as well as a vast amount of pseudo-images with faces of people known to the defendant edited onto the bodies.
In a series of live and deleted chat logs on the dark web and chat site Omegle, Jameson distributed images and videos from his collection to other like-minded paedophiles.
"In the chat forums he took part in fantasy role play with others," Mr Halsey added. "He talks about torturing young girls."
After police executed a warrant at his home on August 25 last year, more than 3,000 chats were found on the dark web on the defendant’s two computers.
In one discussion with another user about an image of a girl aged between seven and 10, Jameson said: "This girl has the perfect body for me.
"I would love to torture her for a couple of days and then kill her."
Defending, Gavin Purves said the defendant was unaware of the criminal nature of viewing extreme images of children.
He stated that his client was "deeply ashamed" by his actions and to find himself in the dock.
Mr Purves added that his client thought at the time that his behaviour was "naughty rather than seriously criminal".
Since pleading guilty to the offences, Jameson has been stripped of his Financial Conduct Authority licence, diminishing his 45-year career.
The court also heard how he was previously a man of good character and had no previous convictions.
Judge Lynch condemned Jameson’s actions before sentencing him to five years in prison.
"What makes these offences so serious is that the children, the real live children that are being filmed do not live in a fantasy world," she said.
"The reason you are a danger to children is that every time depraved fantasists and paedophiles like yourself switch on your computer, you increase demand and where there is demand, it is answered.
"You should be deeply ashamed because but for people like yourself, there would be no call for this. Helpless children would not be filmed doing the most dreadful things.
"You should take your shame for facilitating this dreadful crime to your grave."
