Nicky Warby: Knox teacher ‘lit up’ when watching child porn, court hears
As head of aquatic sports at Knox Grammar school, Nick Warby was the very definition of a successful and upstanding citizen. But he had a dark secret, admitting to cops he “lit up” when first exposed to sickening child abuse material.
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A prestigious private school teacher busted with “horrific” images of child porn so graphic details of its contents cannot be printed revealed a shocking first reaction to seeing the disturbing material.
Nick Warby’s sickening response to first looking at child porn was “I lit up, it was like the first time I drank or did ice”, according to court documents read out at his sentencing on Wednesday.
The disgraced former Knox Grammar teacher, 32, is facing potential jail time after pleading guilty to possessing hundreds of horrific images and videos.
According to the agreed facts, Warby told police he was attracted to younger men but got the videos found on a USB from a man he met on Grindr in Cronulla called “Jay”.
The court heard his reaction came after Jay showed him images of children being sexually abused.
Warby’s family had “no idea” their son was hiding a sickening secret on his mobile phone, the court heard.
His mother Belinda Warby told her son’s District Court sentencing the head of aquatic sports at Knox has turned to God and engaged in bible study in the wake of him being busted with child pornography.
Warby’s dark secret was uncovered when a colleague found his phone next to a pool on campus in August 2019 and saw the horrific child abuse material.
At the time he was earning a good salary at Knox, a school which charges students fees upwards of $32,000 a year.
Now Warby’s career is in ruins and he has resorted to volunteering at the Mona Vale cemetery, the was told.
“It’s humiliating, it’s embarrassing you’re exposed, you get the newspaper at lunchtime and you see yourself,” Belinda Warby said during her evidence.
It was only by luck that Warby’s stash was revealed.
Agreed facts state Warby was at the pool when he was asked to change his clothes for a promo video for the elite boys school.
When a colleague picked up his phone and looked through to find out who the owner was they instead stumbled across shocking images of child abuse.
Judge Gina O’Rourke described the content on five devices belonging to Warby as “extreme material” while his barrister said it was “horrific”.
Judge O’Rourke acknowledged Warby was remorseful but said she had concerns about his risk of reoffending given he had a phone loaded with child porn at the pool while young boys were around.
Officers uncovered hundreds of vile images and videos on several of Warby’s devices after his phone was seized, most of it is too graphic to describe in print.
In one image a baby was being sexually assaulted by a grown man while the former aquatics head also had videos downloaded from YouTube of children swimming.
“I’ve done wrong … I’m ashamed and I’m going to cop the punishment,” Warby said to officers, the facts state.
The court heard Warby has joined Alcoholics Anonymous and has been addressing the abuse he suffered as a child since being charged.
His alcohol habit while employed by the prestigious school last year included drinks at morning tea, lunch and after work, the court was told.
Warby’s sentencing has been adjourned to a later date.
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