Dr Paul Wilcox, 54, downloaded 4,728 shocking images of children being abused.
The disgraced academic, who has since quit his senior post as head of Hallam's child education unit, is today starting a six-month jail sentence.
At Sheffield Crown Court Wilcox admitted five specimen charges and asked for a further 25 similar offences to be taken into consideration.
Wilcox' perversion came to light after he ordered a video from a company in Las Vegas, America, which showed children being sexually abused.
The video was intercepted en route to Wilcox' home in Richmond Park Rise, Richmond, Sheffield and police were called in.
Officers searched his home and discovered almost 5,000 images on his computer. Former school teacher Wilcox, a bachelor, was arrested and told police his interest was in "pubescent boys".
When police began investigating him his contract was not renewed at the university.
After his shameful fall from grace, Wilcox recoiled into his shell, the court heard.
His barrister James Baird said Wilcox, who headed Sheffield Hallam University's Centre for Science Education, had isolated himself and failed to pay his rent.
Consequently he was evicted and recently went on a starvation diet.
Mr Baird said: "He could not and was not able to face up to what he had done and he is bitterly shameful. He is anxious to know his fate."
He said the former university researcher had been remanded in custody awaiting sentence and had been attacked twice by other prisoners.
"This man has effectively already received punishment that far outweighs any sentence that this court proposes to pass on him."
Judge Alan Goldsack QC, the Recorder of Sheffield, looked at some of the depraved images before he passed sentence. The images were of varying degrees of obscenity.
Jailing Wilcox, Judge Goldsack said: "These pictures were for your own gratification. You say, and I accept, that you never personally did things to children such as that depicted in the photographs but these are pictures of real children and someone has abused them so that you and others can obtain perverted pleasure from watching that abuse.
"That people like you want to watch such filth only serves to encourage the abusers and only leads to more children being abused."

Background on Dr Paul Wilcox
DR Paul Wilcox was a leading Sheffield academic but today his brilliant reputation lies in tatters.
The bachelor, who worked at Sheffield Hallam University's Centre for Science Education before leaving last summer, was responsible for writing teaching packs for secondary school pupils.
He had taught physics in comprehensive schools for 11 years before joining the University where he specialised in developing school curriculums.
The metallurgy graduate, who gained a PhD at Sheffield University, was head of Hallam's child education unit and was also involved with the British Aerospace Millennium science education project.
Wilcox was sacked from his post at the University when his contract ran out last August. His dismissal came after police began an investigation into his private life.
His work writing Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 teaching materials for children was halted as was another of his Sheffield Hallam duties of building and maintaining his teaching unit's website.
Again, it was not just in worktime that Wilcox pursued an interest in the internet. In his spare time the loner surfed the web looking for child porn.
Police first latched on to Wilcox after he ordered a video from America showing paedophiles abusing kids.
American customs officers tipped off British customs and they in turn contacted police as part of a joint investigation.
A police officer who dealt with the case explained: "Customs don't really have the expertise to deal with it and so they asked us to deal with it. So we executed a warrant at his house and uncovered a large quantity of hard copy images and images were also found on his computer."
The officer added: "All the images were offensive and depraved. Buying and downloading these images perpetuates the whole ritual of abuse these children are going through."
A Hallam University spokeswoman said Wilcox left his post when his contract ran out last summer – around the same time police contacted his bosses.
She said Wilcox did not come into contact with children through his work with the university and his role was very much 'desk-based'.
She added: "His role did not involve any contact with minors."
Applicants and new members of staff are vetted by the University in conjunction with police, she added.
"If someone is due to come into direct contact with children, for example in schools, they will be checked as will their criminal record. These procedures are all set up."