PHILIP WOODS FROM DURHAM SENTENCED TO NEARLY THREE YEARS FOR ONLINE CHILD SEX OFFENSES

A man from Durham with a troubling history of sexual offenses has been sentenced to two years and ten months in prison after attempting to engage in inappropriate online communications with what he believed were two 13-year-old girls. The incident was uncovered during an investigation by online safety authorities, leading to his arrest and subsequent court proceedings.

Philip Woods, aged 55, was found to have been messaging what he thought were two underage girls through the social platform Chat Avenue. Unbeknownst to him, these accounts were actually operated by a dedicated online paedophile hunter group, which had set up decoy profiles to catch individuals attempting to contact minors for sexual purposes. The court was informed that Woods was using a mobile phone that was not registered with police authorities, a clear violation of a sexual harm prevention order issued in 2019 following his previous conviction for producing indecent images of children.

The court heard that on October 7, Woods initiated contact with one of the decoy accounts, expressing a desire to be the girl’s boyfriend. He also sent a link claiming it contained a video of an older man engaging in sexual acts with a 13-year-old girl. The following day, he continued his attempts by messaging another account, again believing it belonged to a minor, and the exchanges quickly turned sexual in nature. Prosecutor Reece Williams detailed these interactions, emphasizing Woods’ intent to engage in sexual communication with minors.

Both accounts involved in the case were operated by the same online safety group, which promptly reported Woods to the police. The court was told that despite his previous convictions, Woods’ sexual interest in children persisted, and he was considered a significant risk to the community. Judge Bennett addressed the court, stating that Woods’ actions demonstrated a continued pattern of harmful behavior.

As a result of his actions, Woods was not only sentenced to nearly three years in prison but was also subjected to additional restrictions. He was placed under a new sexual harm prevention order that will restrict his access to internet-enabled devices indefinitely, aiming to prevent further attempts to contact minors online. Furthermore, Woods is required to sign the sex offenders register for a period of ten years, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities and compliance with legal restrictions. His case underscores the ongoing efforts by authorities to combat online child exploitation and protect vulnerable minors from predatory behavior.