Plymouth child sex offender who photographed abuse jailed for catalogue of offences
A child sex offender has been jailed for 16 years after being convicted of a catalogue of recent and non-recent sexual offences in a joint Devon & Cornwall Police and South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) investigation.
John Woodley-Rennie, 39, from Ocean Street, Plymouth, appeared at Plymouth Crown Court for sentence on Friday 21 August after pleading guilty to 16 charges including:
- Taking an indecent photo of a child
- Distributing an indecent photograph of a child
- Engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child
- Causing or inciting a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity
- Engaging in sexual communication with a child
- Arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence
- Attempted sexual communication with a child
- Making indecent images of children
Woodley-Rennie was first arrested in January 2025 after he travelled within Plymouth to meet with who he believed was a teenage boy. Instead, he was met by officers from SWROCU and arrested.
Devon and Cornwall Police launched a further investigation in July 2025 when, following his arrest by SWROCU earlier in the year, Woodley-Rennie attended Charles Cross Station and reported that he had carried out the sexual abuse of a male child in the 2010s in the Plymouth area.
The abuse took place on a numerous occasions over a prolonged period of time and was filmed or photographed by Woodley-Rennie.
Woodley-Rennie told the officers that he carried out and photographed the abuse at the request of a man he had met on Grindr. The man Woodley-Rennie claimed to be acting on behalf of has not yet been identified.
Detective Inspector Dave Wells from SWROCU said: “Working closely with Devon and Cornwall Police, we have collectively ensured a dangerous sex offender has been taken out of our communities after committing offences which span years.
“We are committed to working with police forces in our region, nationally and internationally to protect children by ensuring such dangerous individuals are identified and brought to justice.”
Detective Constable Becca Boulton from Devon & Cornwall Police said: “We welcome the sentence given to John Woodley-Rennie at Plymouth Crown Court today.
“Woodley-Rennie routinely abused his victim, photographing the abuse.
“The offences took place over many years and no doubt had a considerable psychological impact on the victim.
“I’d like to thank the victim for having the strength to talk about what happened to him and remaining engaged throughout the court process.
“We hope he is able to feel some closure knowing that a dangerous sexual predator has been taken off the streets for some time.”
Support available
If you have been affected by this article there is support available.
You can visit victimcare-dc.org to access support services and information on your rights and how to navigate the criminal justice system.
You can also call Victim Support on 0808 1689 111 or Devon and Cornwall Police’s Victim Care Unit on 01392 475900.
Advice and support can also be found at:
National Rape Crisis Helpline 0808 802 9999
Devon and Cornwall Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC) 0300 3034626
For more information please visit: www.dc.police.uk/Rape-SexualAssault
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