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A former police officer abused his position by collecting thousands of images of female officers and police cadets as young as 12, before posting manipulated sexualised pictures on sick paedophile websites, a court heard.
Christopher Dunn, 33, was told his actions had 'undermined public confidence in Greater Manchester Police', as he was jailed for four years and four months.
While working as a cadet leader Dunn led a 'double life', taking pictures of young and often 'vulnerable' cadets for his own sexual pleasure.
On some occasions he even manipulated pictures of young girls to make them sexualised, before posting them to online networks for the pleasure of other paedophiles.
He also did the same with adult female police officers, either taking pictures or collecting them from social media and sometimes manipulating them before uploading them to sick porn websites.
Manchester Crown Court heard that Dunn, from Salford, had been amassing thousands of images of women since he started full time at GMP in January 2014, storing them in 'organised' folders on his computer.He had done the same before he joined GMP, when he worked at the Trafford Centre.
In total Dunn collected images of 46 women aged between 12 and 44.
His offending was uncovered after an alert was triggered because he uploaded indecent images of children.
When his computers and mobile phones were examined, he was also found to have more than 100,000 indecent images of children in his possession.
After being arrested, Dunn said: "I'm not like one of those paedophiles who touch children. They make me sick.
He added: "My life is effectively over. It's over, there is no way back from all of this."
A judge said that Dunn's crimes had 'undermined the fabric of the police service' and damaged the credibility of GMP.
Sentencing, Mr Justice Bryan told him: "You were in a position of trust and responsibility in relation to young, and often vulnerable police cadets.
"You betrayed that trust in harvesting pictures of them for your own personal gratification, and posting them on paedophile websites for the sexual gratification of others who shared your unhealthy interest in young females.
"Those young cadets will have to live with what you have done for the rest of their lives."
The judge added: "Your behaviour has caused long lasting damage to your fellow officers and their families.
"It is almost beyond belief that someone could have distributed pseudo-images of their colleagues and their children on pornographic websites, but that is exactly what you have done."
The judge said statements he had read from victims were 'painful reading', saying they told how they feel 'humiliated and violated'.
The court heard that Dunn, who has no previous convictions, graduated with a computing degree in 2007.
Later that year he found work at the Trafford Centre, where he collected 998 pictures from social media of an adult woman who he knew through his job.
Prosecuting, Rob Hall said that was not a criminal offence but it 'foreshadowed' what was to come.
In February 2009, Dunn became a special constable at GMP. He is said to have performed well and was nominated for Special Constabulary Annual Gala Award.
Meanwhile he collected 1,800 images of three other adult women, who he knew from his old job at the Trafford Centre.
In May 2012 he tried and failed to join GMP as a full time officer, a process which put him in the company of female police officers.
From the following year, he started to collect images of women and girls who he knew through the Trafford Centre, GMP or through the cadets.
As he became a full time student police officer in January 2014 he was continuing to collect images of colleagues, as well as download indecent images of children.
He first started collecting pictures of police cadets in November 2015. Many of the cadets were said to have come from 'troubled homes' and were 'vulnerable'.
In May 2017 Dunn started a relationship with a fellow police officer. She was unaware of his double life, and he continued his offending during their relationship.
After becoming a cadet leader, Dunn was given a GMP award in recognition of the 'commitment and dedication' to his role, with the force unaware of his crimes.
He continued to abuse his position, collecting hundreds of images of his victims.
In October last year, Dunn uploaded an indecent image of a child which led to an online alert to the authorities.
But he still continued his sick behaviour.
In February police executed a warrant at Dunn's home, where he is said to have 'appeared nervous'. He was formally sacked from GMP in May.
In interviews he told officers that he had been addicted to legal pornography since the age of 16, and that he became interested in illegal pornography by 2013.
He said he had developed a split personality, one that was seen by the public and the other that was private to himself online.
Dunn also admitted having recorded videos of girls at his local supermarket.
Saying he was remorseful and that he needed help, Dunn added: "I regret what's happened and I am going to use this situation to turn things around."
In total Dunn collected more than 3,600 images of police cadets, and more than 7,500 images of colleagues.
He had also downloaded more than 20,000 indecent images of children, with a further 100,000 indecent images which prosecutors said had not been classified because it wasn't in the public interest to pursue them.
Defending, Colin Buckle said Dunn was 'socially awkward' as a young person and that he found it difficult to maintain 'age appropriate' relationships with women.
At university he lived at home and didn't engage with fellow students, Mr Buckle said, with Dunn instead turning to illegal pornography.
Mr Buckle said that Dunn's parents were not in court to see him being sentenced as they 'simply cannot face the enormity of his position'.
Police Inspector Natasha Evans told the court that the 'most heartbreaking' result of Dunn's offending was that a young cadet said if they ever got into trouble 'I will not call the police as I don't trust them'.
Dunn, of Moss Lane, Swinton, pleaded guilty to six counts of making indecent images of children, two counts of misconduct in a public office and two counts of possessing indecent images for distribution.
He will have to sign the sex offender's register for life, and is also banned from working with vulnerable children or adults for life.
After the hearing, Amanda Rowe, regional director of the Independent Office of Police Conduct which managed the investigation, said: "Swift action has been taken by the court in jailing Christopher Dunn for these most shocking and serious of crimes.
"In overseeing this investigation by Greater Manchester Police, our joint work has ensured this former officer, who had no place in public office, is no longer a danger to the local community.
"Christopher Dunn’s actions do not reflect the integrity of hard-working, honest police, and the public can be confident that there is no place for his behaviour in any police force."