ANDREW RAW: CHILD SEX OFFENDER FROM CARLISLE AND PENRITH STRIKES AGAIN

In a disturbing revelation, it has come to light that Andrew Raw, a man with a troubling past, once worked as a supply teacher at Lorton Primary School in 1997, a position he held for at least one term. The school authorities confirmed his employment during that period but insisted that there were no issues or concerns raised about his conduct during his time there.

Raw, who was 33 years old at the time of his recent sentencing, was convicted of serious criminal charges involving child abuse. Last week, he appeared before Carlisle Crown Court where he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. The court found him guilty of indecently assaulting a young boy on two separate occasions and of downloading a significant amount of child abuse images onto his home computer. The assault victims were molested twice, once when the boy was just 10 years old and again two years later, in 1997, the same year Raw was working at Lorton Primary.

Helen Humphreys, chairwoman of the Lorton Board of Governors, stated that Raw was at the school just before she arrived in the area, and therefore she had no direct contact with him. She explained, “From what I understand, he was here on a fixed contract—on a supply basis—for one term. He came and went. We had no problems with him.”

However, a mother whose son was taught by Raw expressed her disbelief and concern. She chose to remain anonymous but shared her perspective, saying, “He was a really good teacher. The kids loved him. He used to do things like leaving football cards on their seats for them to find. He really cared about them.” She also recalled that Raw had played a role in setting up the school’s IT system and had made valuable contributions during his brief tenure at Lorton.

According to her, Raw had also expressed interest in taking a group of children on a trip to the fells during the summer holidays. The mother explained, “We said no, but only because we thought our son, then nine, was too young and too immature for a trip like that. Otherwise, we would have had no hesitation in sending him.”

Raw’s educational background includes earning his teaching qualification after completing a degree at Sunderland University. After his stint at Lorton School, he moved on to work at a school in Carlisle as a temporary teacher, where he spent approximately one year. Cumbria County Council stated that there was no evidence to suggest Raw had abused children in his care while working as a teacher. A council spokesperson said, “We have looked at his file and there are no disciplinary matters on it.” The authority also emphasized that they believe no paedophiles have been given special dispensations to work as teachers in Cumbria.

In August 2002, Raw transitioned from teaching to law enforcement, becoming a full-time police officer. He was initially assigned to work in Whitehaven but was suspended and subsequently dismissed in December of the previous year after admitting to the sex offences. The court revealed that Raw had downloaded approximately 8,000 child pornography images onto his home computer, including 120 images classified as the most severe category of abuse.

Justice Barbara Forrester ordered Raw to be placed on the Sex Offenders Register and prohibited him from ever working with children again. The court acknowledged that Raw was aware his actions were wrong but noted that he had developed an addiction to child pornography, which contributed to his criminal behavior.