Former South Pittsburg, Tenn., High School band director Roy Walsh this afternoon was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison on child pornography charges.
Walsh pleaded guilty last April to viewing and disseminating child pornography on his home computer in 2008, according to court documents.
He lost his job at the school after federal agents seized his computer on Oct. 10, 2008.
Agents got a tip from an informant in Connecticut who said Walsh had sent the pornographic images to that person, who was not named in court documents.
Federal Judge Harry "Sandy" Mattice commented briefly on the images seized.
"The amount of images are unbelievable," Mattice said during the sentencing hearing. "This is probably the most number of images the court has seen in once instance."
Walsh's attorney, Gary L. Poston, told the judge his client was "a sad, lonely man sitting alone in his bedroom."
Before his sentencing, Walsh apologized profusely for his behavior.
"I cannot begin to put into words the remorse I feel," he said. "If I could I would apologize to each and every one that I hurt."
According to his testimony, Walsh served as band director for nearly six years at South Pittsburg High School. He lived in Jasper at the time of his arrest.