UPDATE: 11am Friday
Former Spalding Grammar School head of music Eric Wayman indicated guilty pleas to all 12 charges of indecent child images when he appeared at Boston Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (August 19).
He is accused of possessing 4,034 indecent photographs of children, along with 11 counts of making indecent images of children.
The charges, which date from June 2012 to December 2013, include still and moving images and include three category A images (the most serious) , two category B images and six category C images.
The case was committed to Lincoln Crown Court for sentence on a date to be fixed and Wayman was released on conditional bail.
He was ordered not to have any unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 16 and to report to Spalding Police Station within three days of the hearing.
Wayman, an organist, had links to local church groups and is conductor of Spalding chamber choir Cantemus.
The Rev John Bennett, vicar of Spalding St Mary and St Nicolas Church, said: “I was saddened to hear that charges have been brought against Eric Wayman for possessing indecent images of children.
“It has come as a shock to all who know Eric and who have worked with him in different ways.
“We take very seriously the safety of children and young people in St Mary and St Nicolas church. When, earlier this year, I became aware of the seriousness of the matters under investigation, I took steps to ensure that Eric had no further involvement with the church choir or with playing the organ at services.”
Michelle Lees, on behalf of the Diocese of Lincoln, said: “The Diocese of Lincoln cannot comment on the details of this case because legal proceedings are active. However, we do recognise how deeply upsetting these matters are for those affected.
“The diocese, and the Church of England, place the highest priority on the welfare and protection of children and young people, and will respond without delay to ensure that any safeguarding concerns that come to the Church’s attention are passed to the police or local authority to enable the correct action to be taken.
“Safeguarding contact numbers for the Diocese of Lincoln, and for the police and local authority safeguarding teams, can be found on our website www.lincoln.anglican.org”
WEDNESDAY 7pm: A former Spalding Grammar School head of music has been charged by police over indecent images of children.
Eric Wayman – founder and conductor of Spalding’s chamber choir Cantemus – is accused of 12 counts of either possessing or making indecent images.
The 63-year-old, of Bowgate, Gosberton, was due to appear at Boston Magistrates’ Court today (Wednesday). The outcome is not yet known.
It is understood that members of Cantemus were made aware of the situation ahead of the court hearing.
Mr Wayman was head of music at the grammar school until retiring in 2004.
He had been a teacher there for 29 years and is a former pupil.
A very respected musician, he is well-known throughout South Holland as a church organist.
He founded Cantemus in 1986 and it soon became a choir which performed here and abroad and was renowned for its quality and fundraising.
Last year Mr Wayman arranged for the choir’s patron – the acclaimed soprano Lesley Garrett – to sing during ManiFest, a week of events at Spalding’s St Mary and St Nicolas Church which raised more than £4,700 for Marie Curie and Macmillan Nurses.
Cantemus rehearses each week but the current homepage of its website was updated on August 11 to say: “We are taking a break for a while”.
