Evil Leeds paedophile told by victim that he 'hunted him down' and 'destroyed' his life
The victims of an evil paedophile have confronted him in court with one telling him he was “hunted down” and “destroyed” by the abuse.
Heartfelt impact statements were read to Leeds Crown Court during the sentencing of predator Alan Wood, who was jailed for 28 years.
Prolific paedophile Wood denied dozens of offences stretching between 1980 to 2010 and involving seven victims, some of which were as young as seven-year-old.
One victim, who is now an adult, told the court: “That man has destroyed me, he stole my entire childhood.
“I was constantly sought out by him and hunted down. I still have flashbacks about the abuse.
“I do not like getting undressed, even now I carry that feeling of shame of being naked.
“I have been so low at times I have seriously wanted to end my life. He destroyed me so much I feel like I can’t breathe.”
Many of the victims said they have been left carrying an enormous amount of guilt, oblivious to the other children targeted by Wood.
Another victim told the court: “The guilt is overwhelming. I had no idea there were others. I could have stopped this happening. I should have spoken up.”
He said that in denying all offences, Wood made his victims relive their trauma in one final assertion of power over them all.
The victim said: “He deserves to go to prison for a long time. He is a predator and a paedophile. He was trusted by adults. He is clever and manipulative.
“He has cast a shadow over everything in my life.”
The court heard that Wood, of King Edward Avenue, Horsforth, would target children and groom them, gaining the trust of their parents.
He would entice youngsters to his home with the latest toys, games and video games, before bribing them into sexual acts. He would even torture his victims by electrocuting them with a power box.
The 60-year-old denied any offending but was found guilty after a trial of more than 40 offences, including rape, attempted rape and indecent assaults.
He was jailed for 28 years - made up of a 27-year custodial element with a one-year extended licence period.
Speaking after sentencing, Detective Sergeant Emma Maltas of Leeds District Safeguarding Unit said: “This case is one of the most horrific abuse cases I have investigated in my 21 years as a police officer working in child protection.
“Wood abused generations of children in plain sight coming across as a helpful person who would fix bikes and help people with anything technological.
“Behind this facade of being a harmless man, no one in the community believed that Wood could commit such heinous crimes.
“His victims were so traumatised they were unable to talk about the abuse.
“I am in awe of the bravery of the victims in this case, they have shown immense courage for coming forward to see this investigation get to court. I hope they can find some sense of justice that Wood will be behind bars for a very long time.”