Alan Wood

Alan Wood, a 60-year-old man from Horsforth, Leeds, was convicted at Leeds Crown Court of over 40 sexual offences against children spanning from around 1980 to 2010. Despite suffering from cerebral palsy that affected the right side of his body and his speech, Wood systematically groomed and abused six victims, primarily young boys, by portraying himself as a helpful community member and luring them to his home with enticing gifts such as the latest video games, Star Wars toys, and assistance with repairing bicycles.

The court heard that Wood's home became an 'extremely attractive place' for youngsters, where he would initially force them to watch pornographic videos. He then bribed the children, telling them they could only play with certain toys or games if they obeyed him and allowed him to abuse them. The abuse escalated from sexual touching to rape and attempted rape, with some victims as young as seven years old. Once trust was established, Wood's behaviour turned cruel, threatening, and unkind; he even tortured some victims by electrocuting them with an electric box, causing them to wet themselves in fear.

Wood declared his love for the victims and insisted the abuse remain their secret. Five of the victims were boys, one was a young girl, and the final victim was a vulnerable woman. He denied all wrongdoing during the trial, but multiple victims came forward to provide evidence, leading to his conviction on charges including two counts of rape, seven counts of attempted rape, 27 counts of indecent assault, one count of sexual assault, possessing prohibited images, assault by penetration of a boy, sexual assault of a boy under 13, and two counts of gross indecency.

Judge Ray Singh, sentencing Wood, stated: 'Despite your limitations and disabilities, it did not stop you from wholesale sexual abuse of predominantly young children. The effects upon your victims has been devastating.' The judge highlighted the significant grooming behaviour employed by Wood, who gained the trust not only of the children but also their parents. Wood was deemed a danger to children and sentenced to 27 years in prison with a one-year extended licence period, required to serve at least two-thirds before parole eligibility. He was also placed on the sex offender register for life.

The case was reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post on 12 January 2026, based on proceedings at Leeds Crown Court. West Yorkshire Police were involved in the investigation, as indicated by imagery credits.