ANDREW WHARAM FROM SOUTHAMPTON AND SPALDING SENTENCED FOR CHILD INDECENT IMAGES

In a case that has shocked the local communities of Spalding and Southampton, Andrew Wharam, a 54-year-old former teacher at Spalding Grammar School, has been sentenced after admitting to possessing indecent images of children on his personal computer. The incident came to light in February of the previous year when police officers executed a search warrant at his residence in Spalding, Lincolnshire, due to suspicions related to illegal material stored on his devices.

Law enforcement officials, upon entering Wharam's home, found the computer tower which was later confirmed to contain a significant number of indecent images involving minors. The police also recovered a USB stick from one of the bedrooms, which contained approximately 700 cartoon images of children engaged in sexual activities. Prosecutor Phil Howes detailed that these images included both still photographs and animated cartoons, highlighting the disturbing nature of the material.

During the investigation, officers traced Wharam to his workplace at Spalding Grammar School, where he was teaching at the time. Confronted by police, Wharam reportedly lowered his head and admitted responsibility for the illegal content found on his devices. In his initial police interview, he explained that his interest in such material was driven by an addiction to legal pornography, which eventually led him to search for and access illegal images on a Russian website after searching for terms like “young girls.”

Wharam disclosed to authorities the location of the images on his computer tower, which he had kept hidden from his wife. He also admitted to having a sexual interest in girls aged from 12 to 13 years and older. The police found that he had been in possession of these images between May 20, 2016, and February 27, 2017.

In court, Wharam pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children and one charge of possessing 700 prohibited cartoons. His current residence is in Bassett Dale, Southampton. The judge, Recorder Gareth Evans QC, sentenced him to six months in prison, suspended for two years. Additionally, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for five years and was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The judge noted that Wharam’s cooperation with police and the fact that only one image fell into the most serious category influenced the decision to avoid immediate imprisonment.

Recorder Evans emphasized the personal toll of Wharam’s actions, stating, “As a result of your addiction to pornography, you have lost your wife and your job.” The case underscores the ongoing issues surrounding the possession and distribution of illegal images of minors and the importance of rigorous law enforcement in tackling such crimes.