Christopher Wheeler has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for dealing child pornography, and after failing to accept a plea deal that could have sent him behind bars for four years. Wheeler, the former headmaster of the Tower Hill School, a Delaware prep school, sat motionless during his sentencing hearing. Wheeler’s attorney has announced that his client will appeal the verdict.
Christopher Wheeler was sentenced to 50 years in prison for dealing in child pornography. Wheeler had rejected a plea bargain under which he would have been incarcerated for four years.
Wheeler, 55, received a mandatory two years on each of 25 counts of dealing child pornography from Superior Court Judge Eric M. Davis. In December, after 18 months of investigation, Judge Eric M. Davis found Wheeler guilty after her turned down a deal where he could have been sentenced to as little as two years in prison.
Delaware authorities decided to investigate Wheeler after two brothers in Pennsylvania, who had testified in the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State University, claimed that he had abused them. Wheeler’s adopted son also had accused him of molesting him.
When police searched Christopher Wheeler’s home and office, they found child pornography. Despite the allegation made by the three men, Wheeler was not charged with sexually abusing anyone, due to insufficient evidence.
However, Wheeler, who was an assistant headmaster and wrestling coach for 14 years at Lake Forest Academy near Chicago, wrote a letter to one of the Pennsylvania men who accused him of raping him. Wheeler, who had met the boy while he was at Westtown Friends in the late 1970s, wrote:
“I did those things. I am the one responsible.I will not compound your pain by attempting to deny or in any way deflect responsibility for my actions 35 years ago. I’ll wait to hear from you about further appropriate steps towards resolution and restitution.”
Mr. Christopher Wheeler, a musician, composer and pilot, had more than 2,000 images of child exploitation in his residence. Prosecutor Abigail Layton did the math as followed to explain why Christopher Wheeler was sentenced to 50 years. Layton said:
“The sentence works out to about nine days for each of the 2,000 images of child exploitation.”
Layton added:
“In those pictures, kids are being raped and violated, and it’s captured on film for the rest of their lives.”
Thomas Foley, an attorney for Wheeler, plans to appeal, claiming that his client’s sentencing for dealing child pornography was unfair and unreasonable compared to the other cases.
Foley argued that the state had no proof that Wheeler viewed the child porn and said that he was unaware that the sites he was visiting contained graphic and illegal images. Foley told reporters:
“It’s obscene. It’s outrageous.”
According to a statement issued by an official at Tower Hill, Wheeler was hired in 2004 after being extensively vetted. Tower Hill’s spokeswoman Teresa Messmore, said:
“None of Dr. Wheeler’s conduct that was the subject of the criminal case involved students at our school. At this point, our school has nothing further to say. “
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