Ludgrove School: Wokingham teacher Gordon Waterson sentenced for child porn

Gordon Waterson, who now lives on Clinton Road in Edinburgh, also distributed images of young boys being abused in order to join smutty group chats where ‘like-minded people’ would discuss child porn.

The 33-year-old taught as the Director of Music at Ludgrove School, an independent boarding school for boys aged 8-13 in Wokingham where parents pay £9,775 per term.

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He was suspended by his employers in July 2020 after it emerged Waterson had been downloading indecent images -- including material featuring boys aged between two and ten-years-old -- since 2015.

Waterson leaving Reading Crown Court

Police arrested Waterson at Ludgrove School after linking his email address and phone number to the access of child porn.

The teacher, originally from Scotland, had four iPhones on which he stored 5,270 category C indecent images, 3,258 category B indecent images, and 1,880 category A indecent images (the most explicit kind).

Officers retrieved a further 360,000 images on his devices -- “which may or may not have been indecent”, Reading Crown Court heard -- but these were not analysed as police did not have the resources to go through them all.

Waterson had been employed be Ludgrove since at least 2019, according to articles still live on the school’s website. He appears to have gone on a ski trip with pupils in 2019.

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Months before his arrest, Waterson volunteered to help Wokingham Borough Council’s coronavirus response team delivering prescriptions across the community.

A post from Ludgrove School about Waterson's help in the community

He resigned from Ludgrove in October 2020.

Two-years-old

Kirsty Day, prosecuting, said the music teacher stored images on Dropbox, Skype, Tumblr and other social media sites.

An analysis of his devices found he sent indecent images over chat app Kik in December 2015, which he distributed in order to join chats where other paedophiles would discuss child porn.

The images he downloaded included children as young as two-years-old, Reading Crown Court heard, with many of the victims being sexually abused by adults.

‘He will never teach again’

Toby Meisels, defending, said: “This was a man who was teaching for a number of years.

Waterson helping as part of Wokingham Borough Council's coronavirus response

“He knows that he will never work with children again. He will be barred from teaching for life.

“It is always difficult to explain why people view child porn, especially someone who was so highly regarded.

“This process began with adult porn and went from there.

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“It is a large number [of images]. He quite clearly was prolific in terms of searching and looking for images.”

Mr Meisels said Waterson found his job “stressful” and he would often turn to alcohol to cope with this.

Adding: “There’s no evidence he engaged in child sex offences or that he was going that way.”

The barrister said Waterson’s colleagues were “very shocked” to learn of his offending having held him in a “high regard.”

Ludgrove School grounds. Image via Wikimedia Commons

Mr Meisels said his client had made efforts to seek help for his “addiction” and, including contacting the Samaritans and paying to see a sexual psychotherapist.

Since his arrest and release on bail, Waterson has worked in a supermarket, set up his own voiceover business and secured a HGV driving licence.

‘Reflect on what they have lost’

Waterson was spared jail after Her Honour Judge Nott said he had a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

The judge laid into the 33-year-old prior to sentencing him, however, lamenting him for joining lewd group chats with other “like-minded people” in particular.

Referencing the volume of images found on his devices, Nott said: “You must have been using every spare hour to access and discuss these sexual images.

“You are lucky and priviliged. You come from a background where you are supported by your parents.

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“You have ex-colleagues who, even knowing what you have done, are prepared to speak for you.

Waterson leaving Reading Crown Court

“That [privilege] is in direct opposition to the many thousands of victims [in the images].

“They do not have the support that you have, they will have very different adult lives to yours.

“When you reflect on what you have lost, you should reflect on what they have lost and what they will never have the chance to gain.”

Her honour judge Nott acknowledged Waterson had engaged in rehabilitation courses and paid for psychoactive sexual therapy and said he has a “realistic prospect of rehabilitation.”

The judge added: “You have come a very long way in a matter of 18 months.

“I’m aware that if I sent you to prison you are not going to be able to continue your rehabilitation -- you are not going to be a high priority for it.

“You have already been punished by the loss of a career that clearly meant a lot to you.

“There is no indication that your criminal behaviour slipped into your professional work.

“I have seen reports about the positive contribution you made in your [pupils’] lives.

Waterson was spared jail after he was handed a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years.

He will have to take part in 180 hours of unpaid work and rehabilitation activities as part of his sentence.

The former was sentenced for three counts of making indecent images and three counts of distributing indecent images at Reading Crown Court on Friday, April 22.