James Wicks, from Tadley, in Hampshire, was a PCSO with Thames Valley Police in Reading when he was arrested for offences committed over three years.
Prosecutors said Wicks, 35, had swapped crystal meth for indecent movies.
Thames Valley Police described his actions as "absolutely reprehensible". He resigned from the force in October.
Prosecutors said he shared crystal meth with a friend for sexual pleasure and in exchange for indecent movies of children which were put on a memory stick and distributed via Skype.
John Montague, senior district Crown prosecutor, said: "The movies found in possession of James Wicks can be described as some of the worst type classified as category A seen by experienced officers in the child abuse team."
Thames Valley Police said although the offences took place while he was a serving PCSO there was "no evidence to suggest his offending was in any way linked to his job".
Deputy Chief Constable John Campbell said: "He has shown complete disregard for the standards expected of him by committing such criminal offences."
He was suspended from duty pending the criminal investigation by Hampshire Constabulary in June. He resigned shortly before he was charged.
Wicks pleaded guilty to six counts of the possession of indecent images of children, one count of the distribution of indecent images of children and one count of being concerned in the supply of a class A drug.
He was also placed on the sex offender register for 10 years.
A former Police Community Support Officer has been jailed for two years for possessing indecent images of children and supplying drugs.