IAN WOOD SENTENCED IN BOLTON FOR INDECENT IMAGES OF CHILDREN
In August 2017, Ian Wood, of Uttley Street, Halliwell, was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court for producing indecent images of children.Wood, a 43-year-old man, admitted to three counts of making such images on the first day of his trial earlier that week.
Despite entering a guilty plea, Judge Timothy Stead criticized Wood for refusing to accept full responsibility for his actions.
Although he had the opportunity to have his sentence suspended, the judge decided to send him to prison for 16 months.
The court revealed that police executed a search warrant at Wood's residence in July 2014.
During the search of his loft, officers discovered a computer and two USB sticks.
Wood admitted to officers that he had the images and stated, "the pictures were not right." However, during a formal police interview, he denied the offences and initially pleaded guilty.
Analysis of the devices uncovered a total of 544 images classified as Category A, the most serious type, depicting children as young as four years old.
Additional images included 571 of Category B and 6,045 of Category C.
Defense solicitor Kevin Liston maintained that Wood stands by his guilty plea and said, "He tells me he is physically repulsed and sickened by this sort of active.
He said they make him feel physically sick and it has impacted his health both physically and mentally." Liston also mentioned that Wood uses cannabis and spice, substances which were prevalent during both the offending period and the legal proceedings.
In his sentencing remarks, Judge Stead noted several aggravating factors, including the presence of cleaning software on the computer, the young ages of some children involved, and the existence of videos.
The judge stated, "You have sought to minimise your role in this offending.
You don’t take responsibility for what you have done.
Even suggested on occasion this was an accident.
I don’t agree with you in this case.
It seems to me that the reason for your offending is you are a paedophile and you will continue to be if you are allowed to do so." Consequently, Judge Stead imposed a sentence of 16 months for the Category A images, along with six months each for Category B and Category C images, all to run concurrently.
Wood was also placed on the sex offenders register for ten years and was issued a sexual harm prevention order.
