MICHAEL WOOD FROM WELWYN GARDEN CITY AND WORTHING JAILED FOR SEX OFFENCES INVOLVING YOUNG GIRL

In a disturbing case that has shocked the communities of Welwyn Garden City and Worthing, Michael Wood, a man with a long history of criminal behavior, has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison for a series of heinous sexual offenses involving a vulnerable teenage girl. The court also ordered Wood to be placed on the sex offenders register for life, emphasizing the severity of his crimes and the ongoing risk he poses to society.

Wood, aged 56, was first convicted of sexual offenses back in 1973. Despite his previous convictions, he continued to engage in criminal behavior, culminating in this recent case where he exploited a young girl under the age of 16. The offenses included multiple instances of sexual activity, as well as the exchange of explicit images over the internet, highlighting a pattern of predatory behavior that spanned several years.

The police raided Wood’s residence in Welwyn Garden City in June of the previous year. When officers arrived, Wood answered the door dressed in a dressing gown. During the search, they discovered that he had been viewing pornography on his computer. Prosecutor Nicola Devas explained to the court that the police observed an open chat room on his device, with a webcam activated and visible pornography on the screen. Further examination of his computer later revealed the presence of indecent images of children, some of the most serious category A images, which include still photographs and videos.

The investigation was initiated after concerns were raised by the girl’s teachers, who contacted the police out of worry for her safety. The teenage girl recounted to officers that she had met Wood in the summer of 2015. Over time, they became Facebook friends, and Wood began to engage in inappropriate behavior, including kissing and sexually touching her just before Christmas of that year. The girl revealed that in early 2016, she met Wood in Old Welwyn, where they went to a secluded area after riding their bikes. There, Wood hugged her and asked if she wanted to touch him, which she did, and he subsequently engaged in full sexual intercourse with her.

In addition to the physical acts, Wood sent the girl indecent images of himself and persuaded her to send him explicit pictures of herself. The police found a collection of such images on his computer, including 17 images classified as Category A, the most serious level, comprising six still images and eleven videos. There were also 18 images at Category B and 28 at Category C, the least serious level, with a mixture of stills and videos. These images further demonstrated the extent of his exploitation and abuse.

Wood, who is currently unemployed and residing at Maybridge Crescent in Worthing, Sussex, pleaded guilty to multiple charges. These included two counts of sexual activity with a child, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and three counts of making indecent images of children through downloading. His criminal record includes three previous convictions for sexual offenses, including gross indecency with a child in 1973, indecent assault and gross indecency in 1982, and an indecent assault on a girl under 16 in March 1997.

During the sentencing hearing, defense lawyer Will Noble acknowledged Wood’s early guilty plea and highlighted that his last conviction was over 20 years ago, during which he completed a sex offender treatment program. However, Judge Stephen Warner emphasized the gravity of the current offenses, stating, “These are extremely serious offences, involving the exploitation of a young girl by you, a much older man. She was young and she was vulnerable. You did it for your own gratification.”

As part of his sentence, Wood was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and to comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions designed to protect the public from further harm.