Actor Chris Langham is found guilty of making child porn pictures but cleared of indecently assaulting a girl.
Langham, of Golford, Kent, said he was studying the porn sites as research for a television drama - but he was convicted at Maidstone Crown Court.
However, the 58-year-old actor has been acquitted of charges of indecently assaulting an underage girl and two counts of a serious sexual offence.
Judge Philip Statman remanded the BAFTA winner in custody for sentencing on September 14.
The juror of seven men and four women deliberated for about two hours and 40 minutes before they returned their verdicts.
'No knowledge'
Langham claimed in court that had looked at the images while formulating a character for the BBC series Help.
He said he pleaded not guilty because he did not want to be called a paedophile.
While giving evidence his Help co-star, comedian Paul Whitehouse, told the court that he had no knowledge Langham used child pornography for research.
During his time in the witness box, Langham said when he was eight he had been the victim of a abuse while on holiday in Canada. He said he did not want to go into any detail, but he felt "deep, deep shame" about what had happened.
Langham also told the jury victims of abuse were his "brothers and sisters" and he felt no shame in looking at child pornography.
When asked by the prosecution why he had saved images on to his computer, he replied: "I thought if I could become angry enough I might be able to break this problem I have in accessing this stuff myself."
The jury were directed to clear the actor of four other indecent assault charges part way through the trial.
Chris Langham had pleaded not guilty to all the charges