WASHINGTON, November 15 (RIA Novosti) – The former headmaster of an elite US private school charged with dealing in child pornography has been defended by his adopted Russian son, even though the son earlier told a police officer that his father had molested him, a Delaware newspaper has reported.
Speaking to The News Journal, 23-year-old Nikolai Wheeler praised his father, Christopher Wheeler: “Today I speak English fluently. I speak Russian fluently. I play professional golf. I have a lot of good friends.”
“He’s done a lot more for me than my real parents ever did. For that, I’ll always be grateful.”
Christopher Wheeler, 53, was arrested on November 1 after police found more than 1,400 images of child pornography on computers and devices during a search of his home in Wilmington, Delaware.
The search was initiated after two brothers alleged to police that Wheeler had sexually molested them as boys 30 years ago, The News Journal reported, citing the affidavit filed to gain permission to search Wheeler’s property.
The affidavit also stated that an intoxicated Nikolai Wheeler told a police officer on October 8 that his father had abused him between the ages of 12 and 15 years old, after his father, who was visiting him at his South Carolina home, had called emergency services to report fears that his son was possibly suicidal.
Nikolai Wheeler refused to discuss the accusations with the interviewer from The News Journal, saying that he only wanted to express his love and admiration for his father:
“All I want to do is support my dad as best I can,” Wheeler told the paper on Saturday. “I'm moving on with my life. I'm working. I'm doing all the things that I'm supposed to be doing. ... We should hold off on everything until after the court.”
Christopher Wheeler is currently being held on $1.5 million cash bail on 25 counts of dealing in child pornography. He has not been charged with sexual abuse, The News Journal reported.
