A man described by a judge as being "knee-deep" in filth was in prison today after being jailed for three-and-a-half years for child pornography offences.

Dexta Adams, 33, of Glebe Way, Whitstable, was living in Chatham when he was arrested. This was the toll of filth discovered by police:

12,000 indecent images on the hard drive of his computer.

400 video clips showing sexual abuse of children.

2,000 images on DVDs.

More images on CDs.

Chat logs revealing conversations about child abuse websites.

Maidstone Crown Court heard that Adams also maintained sites on the internet and provided them to others.

Judge Carey told Adams: “It is obvious from viewing what this jury and I have viewed, the product of your activities on the internet, you have been knee-deep in this filth for years.

“You have been indulging in your obsession with child pornography for many years. These are not offences which have no harm. Children depicted in these images are real people.

“Those who trade in this muck are simply furthering the enthusiasm and determination of others who profit by it.”

Adams claimed he knew nothing about the material and that there was an innocent explanation for it being on his computer.

But a jury convicted him of 23 charges of making an indecent photograph of a child and 16 of possessing an indecent photograph of a child.

Adams was living in Thorold Road, Chatham, in February 2006, with his girlfriend and her young daughter, when he was arrested. When on bail he moved to Whitstable where police seized a laptop containing more of the images and boxes of photographs.

Adams will serve half the sentence in custody and the rest on licence and will remain on the sex offenders’ register for life.