Disgraced : Christopher Wheeler , 54 , has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for dealing child pornography ( mugshot from 2013 ) A disgraced former headmaster of a $ 27,000-a-year prep school has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for dealing child pornography . Christopher Wheeler , 54 , who worked at the exclusive Tower Hill school in Delaware , had more than 2,000 images and videos of boys engaging in sex acts with men when police raided his $ 350,000 mansion in Wilmington in October 2013 . One of those showed a naked boy with his head being held by an adult male while performing a sex act . Court documents say Wheeler was running Net Shred - a program designed to eradicate internet history - when authorities knocked on his door . The discovery led to the accomplished composer and pilot being fired from a job he had held for nine years , which had a salary of nearly $ 3700,000 . The investigation stemmed from allegations he had sexually his adopted son , aspiring professional golfer Nikolai , and two other teenagers . Nikolai has however denied the allegations and Wheeler has not faced abuse charges . He was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Eric M. Davis on Friday , the same judge who found him guilty of the shocking crimes in December . Wheeler opted for a non-jury trial in September which only last one day . She told the court on Friday Wheeler had 'developed a pattern of Internet browsing for child pornography . ' After police searched his school-owned mansion , his private plane and his school office , he tried to flee , but turned himself into authorities less than a month later . According to the Delaware News Journal , he turned down a plea bargain which may have substantially reduced his sentence . Wheeler 's attorney , Thomas A. Foley , plans to appeal the sentence , claiming Delaware law requiring two years behind bars on each count is 'obscene and outrageous ' . Fall from grace : The former headmaster at the exclusive Tower Hill School in Delaware , who earned nearly $ 370,000 a year in the position , was arrested after police searched his mansion , school office and private plane in 2013 . He insisted that the court wanted to paint Wheeler as 'Mr Filthy ' insisting there is 'no proof he knew ' the child images were there . But Davis stated the sheer number of indecent images did not inadvertently end up on his computer . Prosecutor Abigail Layton told the paper after sentencing : 'Think about what is contained in each of those pictures . 'In those pictures , kids are being raped and violated and it is captured on film for the rest of their life , the life of the Internet . Their worst moments are on film . ' She added Wheeler had used child porn for his 'own gratification ' and 'it was not by mistake , it was by design . ' He had previously been assistant head of school and dean of admissions at Lake Forest Academy in Illinois and had held a post at St. Paul 's School in Garden City , New York . Property : Police discovered more than 2,000 images of children engaging in sex acts with men during a raid on his school-owned mansion in Wilmington , Delaware ( pictured ) In the 1970s he was accused of attacking two brothers from a family he had befriended at Westtown Friends School . According to a search warrant seen by the News Journal , the pair decided to bring up the allegations after the child sex abuse case of former Penn State University assistant coach Jerry Sandusky . Wheeler wrote a letter to one of the brothers which , according to court documents , read : ' 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 . ' School administrators said last month they had found no evidence Wheeler had abused any students there . They added that he had been 'thoroughly vetted ' before taking the job . Founded in 1919 by Du Pont family members , Tower 's Hill 's graduates include US Senator Chris Coons , former Governor and Congressman . Mike Castle , DuPont Co. chief executive Ellen Kullman and television personality Dr. Oz . The school , named one of the top 50 in the United States , has around 750 students aged from three to 18 . History : Founded in 1919 by du Pont family members , Tower 's Hill 's graduates include US Senator Chris Coons , former Governor and Congressman . Mike Castle and television personality Dr. Oz . Claims : The investigation stemmed from allegations he had sexually his adopted son , aspiring professional golfer Nikolai ( pictured ) , and two other teenagers . Nikolai has however denied the allegations . Esteemed : The school , named one of the top 50 in the United States , has around 750 students aged from three to 18 .
Christopher Wheeler , 54 , worked at the exclusive Tower Hill in Delaware . Police discovered 2,000 indecent images on his computers in October 2013 . Composer and pilot was found guilty of multiple sex offences in December . He was headmaster for nine years and earned around $ 370,000 a year . His attorneys claim the court tried to paint him as 'Mr Filthy ' Elite school was founded in 1919 by members of the Du Pont family . Comment: