Child abuser is locked up
A PAEDOPHILE Jehovah’s Witness who abused young girls has been thrown behind bars for three-and-a-half years.
Paul Wood, 40, assaulted the girls, aged between 10 and 15, at his home, in a car and at a disused airfield.
Wood, of Station Road, Woodville, was found guilty of nine indecent assaults but cleared of a rape allegation made by one of the girls.
The sex offender, who committed his crimes while living in Suffolk in the 1990s, claimed his two victims had ‘made up’ their evidence.
Judge David Goodin, sentencing at Ipswich Crown Court, said: “You were a young man but they are most serious offences.”
Prosecutors claimed during Wood’s trial last year he had forced himself on the underage girls in Sudbury, Suffolk, between 1993 and 1998.
Steven Dyble, defending, told the court Wood was a man of previous good character who had done his best to live an ‘industrious life’.
Wood’s last offence was committed in 1998. Mr Dyble said: “During the last 14 years, there has been no suggestion of any inappropriate behaviour.”
Judge Goodin told Wood that in addition to the jail term, he would be made subject to the terms of a sexual offences prevention order.
The order bans Wood from living in the same house or being in the presence of under-18s without their parents being present and aware of his convictions.
He is also banned from contacting his two victims and from carrying out work at any school or voluntary organisation.
Judge Goodin said that Wood would be allowed to attend his place of worship — but only on the condition he was always supervised if potentially being in contact with anyone under 18.
During Wood's trial in September, the jury failed to reach verdicts on another 11 indecent assault charges. The judge ordered these to be recorded as not guilty verdicts.
