A former west Auckland principal found to be storing thousands of pornographic images has been sentenced to 16 months in jail.

Former Rangeview Intermediate principal David Latimer appeared in the Auckland District Court this morning having earlier admitted 25 charges of possessing objectionable material.

Around 77,000 objectionable images were found on his school equipment.

Crown lawyer Natalie Small says some of the disturbing photographs included scenes of rape, torture and bestiality, showing both adults and children ranging from as young as two years of age to their mid teens.

Ms Small says the fact Latimer was a school principal at the time makes his offending an abuse of trust at what could only be considered the highest level.

Latimer worked at Rangeview Intermediate for six years before resigning last February.

His offending didn't involve students from Rangeview Intermediate, but three images from a school camp were found among the pornographic material.

Latimer's 16 month prison sentence has been welcomed by rape prevention group Stop Demand.

The group said the term of imprisonment handed down by Judge Mathers was a welcome relief, following a recent spate of cases where judges had been handing down "offensively weak" sentences of home detention.

Stop Demand founder Denise Ritchie said the term of imprisonment was "entirely appropriate".

"It reflects the gravity of Latimer's crimes which involved countless child victims, it serves as a deterrent to others, and it signals that New Zealand takes seriously the need to crack down hard on anyone caught fuelling the demand for such material.

"Without market demand by predators like Latimer, there would be no supply."

Ms Ritchie said the impact on the countless children harmed in Latimer's collection could not be overstated.

"Unlike most crimes, where the impact can dissipate over time, victim impact statements taken years later show just how crushing the lasting effects of such crimes can be."