Worthing man jailed for child abuse images and online exploitation of young women

A man from Worthing has been jailed for 2 years and 4 months after being convicted of possessing child abuse material and carrying out a sustained campaign of online deception and abuse against young women and teenage girls.  

Charles Wood, 34, was sentenced yesterday (13 January) at Lewes Crown Court after pleading guilty to a series of offences including possession of child abuse material and sharing images without consent.

Wood was found to be in possession of 30 images of child abuse material, spanning categories A, B and C, and possessing an extreme pornographic image.

The court heard that Wood went to extreme lengths to deceive and exploit his victims. He created a fictitious online persona, posing as a teenage girl named ‘Riley’.

Using this persona, Wood amassed a substantial following on social media platforms including TikTok and Instagram, as well as dating sites. To further the deception, he used a voice changing application to impersonate a young female voice, the audio then being used to communicate with his victims. The voice-changer videos were played in court. Judge Van Der Zwart described these videos as chilling, in the degree to which they were able to convey to the victims that they were communicating with a female. Before sentencing, the judge told Wood he presented a high risk of harm to children and women and girls, using either his real persona or false ones.

While posing as Riley, Wood formed online relationships with teenage girls and young women. He sent sexually explicit images and videos, and pressured victims to do the same. Some of the images he obtained were later shared with other predatory men online. Enquiries to identify those individuals remain ongoing.

Wood also targeted vulnerable teenage girls he knew to be selling content online. By posing as ‘Riley’, he directed these girls to himself, enabling him to obtain further sexual images without payment.

As part of his offending, Wood sent messages and images falsely claiming that ‘Riley’ was self-harming and attempting to end her life. He also pretended to be ‘Riley’s’ mother, using different names to continue the deception.  

Wood was convicted of multiple offences under the Online Safety Act, including sending false communications with intent to cause harm and sharing intimate images without consent. These offences related to three separate victims.

Wood was arrested on 21 November 2024 and bailed with conditions while the investigation continued. He was charged at Worthing Custody Centre on 10 September 2025 with eight charges; possessing an extreme pornographic image, possessing a total of 30 images of child abuse in categories A, B and C, sending false communication with intent to cause harm and sharing a private image without consent.

Wood appeared at Worthing Magistrates Court on 14 November 2025, where he pleaded guilty to all charges.

On Tuesday, 13 January, at Lewes Crown Court, he was jailed for 2 years and 4 months. He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which will last 10 years, and the court ordered that all his devices be destroyed.

Investigator Rose Horan, from the Online Child Abuse Team, said: “Wood’s behaviour was deliberate, sophisticated, carefully planned, highly manipulative and cruel. He set out to manipulate and control young women and girls for his own sadistic and sexual gratification. The three victim impact statements helped to convey how psychologically damaging his actions were, leaving the victims feeling betrayed and violated. 

“Wood’s offending is another unwelcome reminder of the dangers posed to children online. His devices contained moving images recording the sexual abuse of young children. These children, wherever they are in the world, live with the trauma of the abuse they have suffered.

"The Online Child Abuse Team continue to work with our partners to identify and apprehend offenders, while educating families on steps they can take to keep their children safe online."