Febuary 2006 Sport coach spared jail for child abuse images A FORMER sports development officer who downloaded child abuse images has been spared a jail sentence. Carl Wood held a trusted position with North Somerset Council and worked as a swimming coach and community fund-raiser, but sought out indecent pictures of young boys, Bristol Crown Court heard. Wood, 37, of West Croft, Clevedon, pleaded guilty to 12 counts of making an indecent photograph of a child. Imposing a community punishment order for a maximum 240 hours yesterday, Judge Susan Darwall-Smith told Wood: “Children’s lives are irrevocably damaged because there is a market for the sale of images such as the ones on your computer. “It makes it very much more serious that you were prepared to view the images, bearing in mind your job.” The judge imposed a 10-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order banning Wood from working or having unsupervised contact with under-16-year-olds, as well as stopping him using the internet to download child porn or communicate with under-16s. Wood was ordered to register as a sex offender for five years. Rosaleen Collins, prosecuting, said Wood was now unemployed but, as a sports development officer, had a role as a child safe co-ordinator, in which he aimed to prevent children involved in sport being targeted by those with suspected paedophile tendencies. Miss Collins said: “He was also involved in the management of the Amateur Swimming Association and had travelled internationally with the British youth team.” Miss Collins said when someone used Wood’s home computer they discovered a file containing 30-40 images, one of which was an indecent picture of a boy aged nine or 10. The matter was reported to the NSPCC, who alerted police. They searched of Wood’s home and found indecent material. Miss Collins said: “He had a clear interest in paedophile material, and an obvious interest in boys.” Miss Collins added that Wood had set up two email accounts, by which he had email contact with children in which he claimed to be a child. Wood sent indecent images of a young girl to a young boy, trying to persuade the lad to return indecent images. At first, Wood made no comment to police but later said a man in Tenerife had sent him unsolicited material. Charles Row, defending, said Wood’s job was totally unconnected with the offences. His client had downloaded 120 images, of which most were the lowest category of indecency. Mr Row said in his job, Wood had managed to attain GBP7 million in Lottery funding for local sports projects and had raised GBP15,000 to set up the Child Safe initiative. He added Wood was also a swimming coach, who had coordinated team preparations for the Athens Olympics, as well as coaching senior disabled swimmers to championship level. Mr Row said: “It’s a tragedy someone who has put so much into the community should find himself in this position, and he realises he will be sentenced accordingly.” He added that Wood felt he needed to research indecent images as part of his job and a probation officer has concluded he represented just a five per cent risk of reoffending. The police officer in charge of the case, Detective Constable Cameron McConnell, told the Post: “He put himself in a position of trust with children at the same time as gratifying himself with pictures of young boys. “We are very grateful to all of the people that assisted us in our enquiries. “Mr Wood is still in denial. I agree with the sentence and the SOPO will prevent him committing hands-on offences.” Richard Turner, spokesman for North Somerset Council, said the authority took the protection of children very seriously. He said: “We have vigorous vetting procedures and all our staff must undergo thorough background checks before they are appointed. “The checking procedures in the case of Carl Wood were carried out to the letter and there was nothing in his previous history to lead anyone to question his suitability for employment.”