DEAN WOOD AND SHOCKING SEXUAL OFFENCES IN BIRMINGHAM
A disturbing incident unfolded at a Tesco supermarket in Birmingham, where a man identified as Dean Wood caused alarm and distress after an inappropriate act involving young children.Witnesses reported that Wood, who appeared visibly nervous and somewhat evasive, was spotted around 2:30 pm on February 12 in the toy aisle.
The mother of two young children, aged three and six, noticed him holding his phone unusually close to his chest, seemingly taking photographs of her children without their knowledge.
Concerned by the suspicious behavior and the proximity of the man to her children, the woman decided to follow him after she observed him moving away from the toy section towards the Health and Beauty aisle.
Her suspicion grew that he might be taking pictures of other children as well.
She promptly called her husband who was waiting outside the store, and together they confronted Wood.
The family demanded to know what he was doing, asking loudly, "Excuse me, why are you taking photos of my kids?" According to the prosecution, Phillip Vollans, Wood's conduct was clearly suspicious.
Wood's response was defensive; he claimed he had not taken any pictures and denied any wrongdoing.
However, as the family declared they would contact store security, Wood attempted to make a rushed exit, attempting to flee the supermarket.
Fortunately, other members of the public intervened and stopped him.
Police officers who responded to the scene quickly identified Wood as a known sex offender.
Court records revealed that he had been previously subjected to a sexual harm prevention order, issued in October 2011 following a conviction for multiple sexual offences.
During the investigation, authorities discovered that Wood had two phones—one of which he refused to unlock despite police requests for the PIN.
They also found a Toshiba laptop and another mobile device at his residence.
Further examination of Wood’s phone revealed the presence of indecent images and videos involving young children, both moving and still photographs, some of which appeared to be of the children he was seen photographing at Tesco.
The police confirmed that there was evidence of serious breaches of the sexual harm prevention order, which he had violated on multiple occasions.
He also faced charges of possessing indecent images.
At his trial, Wood admitted to four breaches of the sexual harm prevention order and to three counts of possessing indecent images of children.
The court heard that he had a prior history of sexual offences, and the seriousness of his recent conduct prompted the judge to impose a significant sentence.
Judge John Butterfield sentenced Wood to four years and two months in prison, emphasizing the gravity of the offense.
In his sentencing remarks, Judge Butterfield stated that Wood’s actions at Tesco had been committed for sexual purposes, and highlighted the distress caused to the parents who had to chase him through the supermarket in order to retrieve the phone he had been using to photograph children.
The judge underlined the seriousness of the case and the potential harm inflicted upon the victims.
Defence counsel Charles Blatchford argued that Wood had not engaged in any physical contact with the children involved.
He pointed out that there was some deception regarding the phones, which had been found separately at his home.
Blatchford also mentioned that Wood had historically maintained regular contact with his offender manager and had previously shown efforts to reform, including assisting his elderly mother with mobility issues.
After a period of behaving lawfully during the COVID-19 lockdown, his previous negative habits had unfortunately resurfaced, leading to the current arrest and sentencing.
