In 2019, the Offender Database recorded that then 36-year-old David Wood was jailed for 15 months for perverting the course of justice after grooming an underage girl he met through the video game Fortnite. Appearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Tyne and Wear, the defendant—formerly of Dunstanburgh Close, Oxclose, Washington, Tyne and Wear—admitted to derailing a police investigation into his sexual relationship with the teenager. It was reported that Wood was originally arrested on suspicion of grooming after the girl confessed to her mother that they had had sex, but the initial case was dropped when the victim refused to provide a statement.
The investigation established that just three days after being questioned by police, Wood sent a series of messages to the girl in a bid to ensure her silence. Northumbria Police reported that the mother discovered these messages on the girl’s computer and provided photographs of them to investigators. The prosecution reported that Wood manipulated the teenager by asking if she still wanted him and telling her she could drop the case, despite the girl being forced to choose between the defendant and her own mother in Washington, Tyne and Wear.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that the relationship began online while the pair were playing in a group on the Xbox game Fortnite. Newcastle Crown Court, Tyne and Wear, heard that the mother expressed significant fear that her daughter was prepared to run away with Wood before her intervention. The investigation established that while Wood did not use overt threats, the extreme imbalance of power in the relationship meant that threats were unnecessary to control and manipulate the teenager’s cooperation with the police.
Mr Recorder Alistair MacDonald QC noted that Wood persisted with messages designed to dissuade the girl from giving evidence immediately after his initial release. For his actions in Washington, Tyne and Wear, Wood was jailed for 15 months and handed a lifelong restraining order to protect the victim. The judge noted that Wood’s claims of an alcohol problem and his completion of educational qualifications while on remand did not excuse the serious nature of his interference with a criminal investigation into child grooming.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the crimes reported in England, the status of David Wood as of late 2019 was as follows:
- Custodial Sentence: 15 months (Sentenced 2019).
- Restraining Order: Active for life (Banning all contact with the victim).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active for 10 years.
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court, Tyne and Wear, following a Northumbria Police investigation.
- Criminal Record: Perverting the course of justice; Investigation for child grooming.
- Origin: Dunstanburgh Close, Oxclose, Washington, Tyne and Wear.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Wood is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) within the Tyne and Wear area. Due to the nature of his conduct in Washington, which involved using popular online gaming platforms like Fortnite to target and groom a child, his management is a priority for the Public Protection Unit. Authorities state that his history of manipulative communication and his direct attempts to obstruct justice require the most intensive monitoring of his internet-enabled devices and social media interactions by Northumbria Police.
As a registered sex offender, Wood’s details are logged on the national police database for a decade. Authorities state that his behaviour in Tyne and Wear demonstrated a calculated effort to isolate a child from her family and the legal system. Any attempt to contact the victim, any breach of his lifelong restraining order, or any failure to declare new online gaming accounts will result in immediate arrest to ensure the ongoing safety of the community and to uphold the protection of the public from a confirmed predator and manipulator.
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