MAN JAILED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AND ONLINE EXPLOITATION OF YOUNG WOMEN
A man from Worthing has received a prison term of two years and four months after being convicted of possessing material related to child abuse and engaging in an extensive online campaign of deception and exploitation targeting young women and teenage girls.Charles Wood, aged 34, was sentenced on January 13 at Lewes Crown Court following a guilty plea to multiple charges, including possession of indecent images of children and non-consensual sharing of explicit material.
Investigations revealed that Wood possessed 30 images depicting child abuse, classified across categories A, B, and C, along with an extreme pornographic image.
The court was also told that he engaged in elaborate efforts to manipulate and exploit victims online.
He fabricated a fake online identity, claiming to be a teenage girl named ‘Riley.’ Using this false persona, Wood built a sizable following on social media sites like TikTok and Instagram, in addition to dating platforms.
To enhance his deception, he employed a voice-changing app to imitate a young female voice, which he used to communicate with his victims.
Court footage included recordings of these voice changer videos.
Judge Van Der Zwart described these as disturbing, given how convincingly they appeared to suggest he was female to the victims.
The judge also noted Wood posed a significant risk to women and children, regardless of his true identity.
While pretending to be Riley, Wood cultivated relationships online with teenage girls and young women.
He sent sexually explicit images and videos and pressured some victims to send similar content.
Some of these images were subsequently shared with other male predators online; authorities are still investigating these connections.
He also targeted vulnerable teenage girls he knew were involved in selling content online, directing them under the guise of Riley to obtain additional sexual images without paying.
As part of his schemes, he fabricated messages claiming Riley was self-harming and attempting suicide.
He also impersonated Riley’s mother using different aliases to sustain the deception.
Wood was found guilty of multiple offences under the Online Safety Act, including sending harmful false messages and sharing intimate images without consent.
These charges concerned three victims.
He was first detained on November 21, 2024, and released on bail while investigations continued.
He faced additional charges at Worthing Custody Centre on September 10, 2025, including possession of an extreme pornographic image, 30 child abuse images, and multiple acts of malicious communication and non-consensual sharing.
At Worthing Magistrates Court on November 14, 2025, Wood admitted all charges.
On January 13, he was sentenced to two years and four months in prison, ordered to comply with a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and his electronic devices were to be destroyed, as decided by the court.
