Robert Wood: Gymea man jailed for failing reporting obligations by coaching junior hockey team

A Gymea man has been jailed for a “sinister” ploy to access children by coaching junior hockey teams, in which he invited children for private coaching sessions at his home.

Robert Wood was jailed for 20 months after he deliberately started coaching junior hockey teams, volunteered of aa club and was in their company without notify police. He is on the child protection registry for trying to procure a child for sex. He failed to notify police and knew he was not allowed to coach children. Alarmingly, the hockey club did not ask for a working with children check, which is didn't have. Eventually they asked and parents revealed Wood had asked kids to attend private hockey sessions at his house. Picture taken in June 2021 after he pleaded guilty to using a carriage service to procure a child under 16 years for sexual activity and was sentenced to a two year and three month prison sentence. Picture: Daniel McGookin

A Gymea man has been jailed after he “sinisterly” failed to report to police he was coaching junior hockey teams in an “ongoing and deliberate” ploy to get close to children.

Alarmingly, Bankstown Hockey Club did not ask Robert Wood to provide a working with children check for five months in which time he offered for children to have private coaching sessions at his house.

The 63-year-old former PE teacher was sentenced to 20 months in prison with a 12-month non-parole period in Sutherland Local Court on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to five counts of failing to comply with reporting obligations.

When Magistrate Holly Kemp handed down the sentence of imprisonment, Wood attempted to self harm while seated in the courtroom before Corrective Service officers took him into custody.

Wood was entered onto the Child Protection Offender Register for eight years after he was convicted in 2021 of using a carriage service to procure a child under 16 years for sexual activity.

Robert Wood pictured in June 2021. Picture: Daniel McGookin

Agreed facts tendered to court said, Wood registered to play in the senior men’s competition with Bankstown Hockey Club in March 2022 and informed police as per his requirements.

The club only notified police in February that Wood had been coaching junior teams since September 2022.

Club members did not initially ask Wood for a working with children check but one was eventually requested, which he was unable to provide because he is on the register, court documents state.

He was asked to stop coaching and was arrested. There was no evidence of any sexual contact with children.

Parents had also informed club members that children had been asked to participate in private hockey coaching session at his Gymea home.

“I will take them to the local park for training, have lunch and they can have a swim,” Wood told a parent but parents declined the offer because it “didn’t feel right”.

Wood was jailed after for coaching junior hockey teams for a number of months. Picture: Daniel McGookin

On one occasion a child was offered to work with Wood, but his parent refused.

Police also found Snapchat app downloaded on his phone along with a username for Snapchat and Grindr.

Wood, who is unemployed, is prohibited from volunteering to coach children, having contact with children; and did not disclose usernames to police.

Magistrate Kemp said Wood “blatantly seriously breached his reporting obligations” in a “deliberate, ongoing and sinister” way to access children when he started coaching.

She said he attempted to “ingratiate himself with parents” and “breached the trust” of the parents and children.

“Wood systematically failed to disclose repeated contact with children, and that contact was ongoing,” she said.

“It was done in a sports club arena and he sought access to children by offering private training at his residence and employment opportunities.

“His ongoing failures to report contact is of grave concern.”

Ms Kemp harshly criticised the hockey club for its “grave departure” from its requirements to ensure Wood had a valid working with children check.

“It is utterly reprehensible for the club not to make the mandatory checks and allowed him unfettered access to children,” she said.

“As a result of the club’s inactions, children were exposed to potential harm from a convicted sex offender.”

Ms Kemp said Wood showed “extremely poor insight into his offending” and the consequences of his actions, adding he did not agree that having contact with children at the club was inappropriate.

She said it was of “grave concern” Wood thought parents may feel his ability to not be able to coach their children would be more of a concern to them than his criminal history as a sex offender.

Ms Kemp noted Wood had sought psychological treatment to deal with his mental health but determined it was not appropriate to allow him to stay in the community because the protection of the community and children was “paramount”.

He will be eligible for release to parole on July 19 next year.

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