PERVERT Wayne Michael Jackson dreamed of being a paedophile and watched hard-core child porn while his wife slept, York Crown Court heard.

But his innocent spouse, Yvonne Jackson, was arrested, taken to a police station and interviewed under caution when the National Crime Squad targeted people using shared internet files, said prosecutor Alan Mitcheson.

She ended up in a police cell because she was the registered internet user for the couple's computer. However, detectives also arrested her husband and he confessed to being the person behind the 2,600-plus child porn pictures and video clips on their computer.

He is now doing nine months in jail.

On his release, he will have three years' supervision by the probation service including a lengthy sex offenders rehabilitation course. He will also be on the sex offenders' register for ten years.

"What I find particularly disturbing is that you admitted to a probation officer that you had imagined yourself in the place of the abusers of the children. That is very worrying indeed," said the Recorder of York, Judge Paul Hoffman.

Jackson, 35, of Kingsway West, Acomb, pleaded guilty to 15 child porn offences involving 2,622 pictures and 45 video clips taken off the internet between June 2003 and September 2005.

Mr Mitcheson said 46 of the pictures and two of the video clips were level five child porn, the highest of five levels, and 306 pictures and 20 clips were at the next highest level, level four.

Police raided his home as part of a National Crime Squad nationwide operation against people using shared internet sites.

After both husband and wife had been arrested, Wayne Jackson insisted to police that Yvonne Jackson was completely innocent. He had merely been "curious" about the pictures.

For the husband, Mark McKone said Mrs Jackson was in court supporting her husband who had been frank with the probation service.

A probation officer said Jackson was willing to change and social services had decided that Jackson could "play a full part" in the life of his 11-year-old son in future despite the offences. He had not sold or distributed the porn.

Mrs Jackson broke down in tears after the hearing.

Updated: 09:14 Saturday, April 29, 2006