Ex-BBC engineer is jailed after admitting downloading tens of thousands of indecent images of children

Darren Shearer collected a catalogue of indecent images and videos

He has been jailed for 20 months for possessing the 270 pictures

Many of the images were discovered on a computer at the BBC

Shearer also used chat messaging services to contact other paedophiles on the internet to discuss sexual abuse of children

Darren Shearer has been jailed for possessing images of child abuse and distributing them to other paedophiles on the internet

A former BBC engineer who downloaded tens of thousands of child porn images and stashed many of them on computer equipment stored at his work was jailed for 20 months yesterday.

Darren Shearer, 26, spent five years collecting a catalogue of indecent images and videos including 270 pictures at the most serious level 5 category.

Many of the images were discovered on a computer hard drive at the BBC’s Mailbox studios in Birmingham where he worked as an outside broadcast engineer.

Shearer also used chat messaging services to contact other paedophiles on the internet to discuss sexual abuse of children.

Many of the images depicted teenage boys who had 'gone through puberty', a court heard.

Shearer was working for the BBC at the time of the offences which took place between December 2008 and February this year.

Yesterday he was jailed for 20 months at Worcester Crown Court after previously admitting 18 counts of making indecent images and five charges of distributing them.

He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years and served with a 10 year Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

After intelligence was received by West Mercia Police about Shearer downloading indecent images from a file sharing network, officers executed a warrant at his home in Worcester.

He was arrested and his computing equipment was seized.

The force’s High-Tech Crime Unit found clear evidence that Shearer was knowingly distributing to a large number of people pictures and videos graphically showing the sexual abuse of children by adults.



Police went on to find Shearer had also saved abuse images on computers at the BBC in Birmingham, but he denied they were his and tried to blame their presence on

He also used chat messaging services to ask for images and discuss the sexual abuse of children with others.

They went on to find Shearer had also saved abuse images on computers at the BBC in Birmingham, but he denied they were his and tried to blame their presence on colleagues.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Sarah Wood, of West Mercia Police, said: 'Behind every child abuse image is an abused child, an exploited and helpless victim.

'When these images are circulated online, they can live on forever.

'Shearer fervently denied the allegations and it took the intensive efforts of the forensic investigators at the High-Tech Crime Unit to prove he was responsible for not just viewing some terrible images of child abuse, but distributing them to other offenders.

The Mailbox, Birmingham, where the BBC is located. They said that Shearer was dismissed as soon as the BBC heard of the crime

'As an organisation we were not deterred by Shearer’s denials. It is our responsibility is to protect children wherever they live and to bring criminals to justice wherever they operate.

'Our investigation has led us to other paedophiles, who we are now investigating and prosecuting; one other man has already be convicted as a result of this case.

'Shearer did decide to admit his crimes but only at a late stage when the trial was almost underway. The sentence reflects the seriousness of his offences and I welcome it.

'We are grateful to the team from the High Tech Crime Unit for their assistance as well as the BBC for co-operating fully with our investigation.'

A BBC spokesperson said: 'Darren Shearer no longer works for the BBC - he was suspended at the earliest opportunity upon hearing of the shocking allegations and was dismissed in March 2013.