'Highly dangerous sexual predator' sexually assaulted jogger in woods but was caught on passing dashcam

Charles Fraser Wood was spotted on a passing driver’s dashcam as he made his way onto the canal path on April 9, where he exposed himself and inappropriately touched the female jogger as she ran past him.

His victim managed to take a photo of the 43-year-old Wood, despite being extremely shaken by the incident, as he fled the scene and she made her way to the nearby Station Road, towards Kildwick village, just north of Keighley.

The image and the video helped track down Wood, of Huddersfield Road, Bradford, and he was arrested and charged with sexual assault and exposure.

His terrified victim flagged down a passing dog walker who called 999 and waited with her until officers arrived. The image and the video were circulated on police appeals and Wood was recognised by a West Yorkshire Police officer who is responsible for monitoring and managing registered sex offenders.

Wood was arrested just two days after the attack and police found several items of interest at his home, including two green jackets, a pair of grey jogging bottoms, a police baton, and a flip knife with a 3.5-inch blade.

Officers also seized a pair of camo-colour Nike trainers from Wood’s car that had been wrapped in a large sheet of bedding.

The seized jackets matched the photograph taken by the victim and corresponded with what Wood was wearing in the dashcam footage. Additionally, the trainers matched both the description provided by the victim and the photograph she took, further connecting Wood to his crimes.

Police enquiries also found Wood's mobile phone had been in the area of the day of the attack, and he was positively identified by a witness who had been in the area.

Wood originally provided no comment in police interviews and maintained his innocence, but eventually pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced at York Crown Court on Wednesday (July 24).

He was jailed for two-and-a-half years and given a three-year extended licence, as well as having to pay a victim surcharge of £228.

Detective Constable Hannah Kelly, from North Yorkshire Police CID, said: “Wood is a highly dangerous individual who was apprehended two days after the incident and has remained in custody ever since.

"A combination of information from members of the public and officers with knowledge of local offenders helped to identify Wood who, despite initially maintaining his innocence, subsequently pleaded guilty to his offences due to the case we had built against him.

“Our CID and Major Investigation Team in Harrogate worked tirelessly on this investigation to seek, apprehend, and prosecute Wood as soon as possible due to the serious risk he posed to women in our community.

“I would like to commend the victim in this case. Despite enduring a terrifying ordeal, she demonstrated remarkable courage by reporting the incident and supporting the investigation throughout. I also want to praise the passerby who called the police and stayed with the victim until we arrived.

“Thankfully, attacks like these are rare in North Yorkshire. However, every woman deserves to feel safe in public spaces, without the need to constantly look over their shoulder or worry about who is approaching them. We will relentlessly pursue and bring to justice the vile perpetrators of such abhorrent behaviour.”