Repeat sex offender posing risk to children jailed again
A man who poses a significant risk to children has been jailed for five years for having sex with an under-age teenage girl.
It is the second time that Liam Wood, 23, of Wem, has been locked up for committing sexual offences against teens.
He was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court where he was previously jailed for four years in 2017 for having sex with two teenage girls.
Under the terms of the original sentence Wood was subject to a sexual harm prevention order. In the latest case he was convicted following a trial held earlier this year for an offence of breach of that order and for three offences of sexual activity with a child.
The court heard how the experience resulted in a distressing effect on the victim, who was aged 15 at the time.
Judge Peter Barrie told the court that it had not been an easy case to deal with.
Wood has ADHD and a functioning age of a nine to 12-year-old.
Addressing the defendant the judge said: “You had been released for a matter of months when you committed these offences.
"I am driven by your reports and from my experience of dealing with your trial earlier this year.
'Tendency'
“There is significant risk of serious harm of further sexual offences, particularly a risk that your behaviour is sexual with girls under 16.
"You need a lot of help and support to learn to overcome this tendency.
“It was obvious that you knew what you were doing,” he added.
The judge said the situation was aggravated by him taking cocaine at the time of the offence.
Miss Debra White, mitigating barrister, said that Wood was “trying hard” to deal with his issues despite being recalled to prison following his arrest in February last year.
She added that there was not a “significant disparity” in age between him and the victim.
For the latest offences Wood, of Roden Villa, Wem, was jailed for a total of five years with an extended licence period of two years.
He must serve two-thirds before being eligible for release by the Parole Board.
Wood has been made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 15 years and subject to the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.
