MARK WOOD FROM DORDON CAUGHT TRYING TO MEET CHILD IN WARWICKSHIRE

In August 2017, a disturbing incident unfolded involving Mark Wood, a 51-year-old resident of Dordon, Warwickshire, who was caught attempting to meet a minor for sexual activity after engaging in online grooming. The case highlights the dangers posed by online predators and the efforts of vigilant groups to combat such threats.

According to court proceedings, Wood believed he was communicating with a 14-year-old boy named John via the popular gay dating application Grindr. During their conversations, Wood explicitly asked the supposed minor if he would be interested in performing oral sex, demonstrating clear intent to engage in sexual activity with a child. Unbeknownst to Wood, the account he was communicating with was not genuine; it was a fake profile created by the organization Silent Justice, which is dedicated to identifying and exposing online sexual predators.

On July 24, the fake profile was set up, and arrangements were made for Wood to meet 'John' at a designated location near his home in Dordon. However, the meeting was preemptively intercepted by Silent Justice. When Wood arrived at the agreed meeting point, he was confronted by Daniel Hurst, the founder of Silent Justice. The confrontation was recorded and streamed live on Facebook, capturing the moment of the arrest.

Following the live stream, police officers were called to the scene. Wood was promptly arrested and taken into custody. During the subsequent court proceedings at Warwick Crown Court, Wood admitted to attempting to facilitate a sexual offence involving a child. The court heard that his actions were deliberate and predatory, with clear evidence of his intent to engage in sexual conduct with a minor.

Judge Stephen Eyre QC addressed the court and emphasized the gravity of the offense. He stated, “You were on the Grindr app and you came into contact with a person you believed was a 14-year-old boy, and you engaged in sexual conversation with him and arranged to meet. It is fortunate that was not a real 14-year-old boy. But you went out believing you were meeting a 14-year-old boy, and were going to engage in sexual conduct with him. If you had actually met that boy and carried out the activities you intended, this would have been a category 1A offence, because I am satisfied the intention, if you had met, was to carry out oral sex.”

He further explained that the initial exchange made the intent clear and that the attempt, although not completed, was a serious matter. The judge decided to impose a sentence of 20 months in prison, considering the fact that no actual child was harmed and that it was an attempted offense. Additionally, Wood was ordered to register as a sex offender for a period of ten years.

Prosecutor Rebecca Wade highlighted the immediacy of Wood’s actions, stating, “Almost immediately the defendant messaged to initiate a conversation.” She detailed how Wood continued to ask explicit questions about sexual acts over the following days, despite being aware that he was communicating with a minor. Throughout their exchanges, Hurst, representing Silent Justice, maintained that 'John' was just a boy, referencing mundane activities such as buying football boots with his mother, to reinforce the false identity.

The planned meeting near Wood’s residence in Dordon was ultimately a trap. When Wood arrived, he was met not by a child but by Hurst, who recorded and live-streamed the encounter. During the confrontation, Wood attempted to persuade Hurst that he did not need to involve the police, but law enforcement officials arrived promptly, arrested him, and took him into custody. The case underscores the importance of community vigilance and the ongoing efforts to protect children from online predators.