(ONN) – A former TV meteorologist in Columbus has been sentenced to prison after previously pleading guilty to possessing child pornography.

Mike Davis was sentenced on Thursday to a minimum of four years in prison and could serve up to six years.

Davis said before his sentencing he didn’t realize at the time that downloading and collecting thousands of child porn images was hurtful to kids.

Investigators say Davis uploaded 16,000 illegal images since 2012.

He was arrested last September.

Prosecutors said this case was among the most severe of its type they have ever seen.