ANDREW LUMBER FROM DROITWICH SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY INVOLVING CHILDREN FROM WORCESTER ROAD CHURCH

In a case that has shocked the community of Droitwich, Andrew Lumber, a man known for his involvement in local youth activities, was sentenced after admitting to possessing a large collection of illegal child exploitation images. The incident came to light following a police raid on his residence in Colford Close, Droitwich, on September 18, 2008.

During the raid, authorities discovered over 2,000 disturbing images of children stored on Lumber’s computer. These images included both still photographs and moving pictures, with nearly 650 classified at the most severe level of explicit content. Among the videos recovered, more than 40 were moving images, with 11 rated as serious. The children depicted ranged in age from as young as six months to 16 years old, highlighting the disturbing nature of the material.

When questioned by police, Lumber admitted that his interest was primarily in children around the age of 12. He insisted that he had not shared or distributed these images to anyone else, claiming sole possession. His background included being a university graduate and a married man, with no prior criminal convictions. Despite his academic and personal stability, the case revealed a troubling secret that had been hidden from his community.

At Worcester Crown Court, Lumber pleaded guilty to the charge of possessing indecent images of children. Prosecutor Kerry Moreton outlined the severity of the case, emphasizing the number and nature of the images found. The court heard that Lumber was involved in a church youth club, specifically the Sacred Heart Youth Club, which was based at the Church of the Sacred Heart and Saint Catherine of Alexandria on Worcester Road, Droitwich. He had helped his wife run this youth group, which was intended to provide a safe environment for young people.

During the proceedings, Julian Harris, representing Lumber, presented character references and highlighted that Lumber was suffering from depression at the time of his arrest. Harris also noted that Lumber had lost his job following the discovery of the images, and that he had few friends. Despite these hardships, his wife and family remained supportive. Lumber expressed feelings of disgust and shame when shown the images by police, describing them as abhorrent and deeply upsetting.

Judge Amjad Nawaz acknowledged the seriousness of the offense but opted for a community-based sentence rather than immediate imprisonment. He stated that although the case met the threshold for custody, he was imposing a three-year community order. As part of this sentence, Lumber will be supervised by the probation service for three years, during which he must participate in a community sex offender group work program. Additionally, he is required to register as a sex offender for five years and will be subject to a sexual offences prevention order for the same period. The court also ordered Lumber to pay costs amounting to £352.

The judge remarked that Lumber’s educational background and marriage were positive factors, and that his faith played a significant role in his life. However, the court made it clear that his involvement in youth work had ceased following the revelations. A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Birmingham, which oversees Catholic churches in Worcestershire, confirmed that Lumber has not been involved in any youth activities since the case emerged. The church emphasized that it has strict procedures in place to protect children and vulnerable adults, and that such matters are taken very seriously by the institution.