Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Chris A. Owens announced that John D. Wood of Scottsburg was sentenced last Wednesday in Scott Circuit Court to 30 years in the Indiana Department of Correction, with the entire sentence ordered to be served in prison.
Wood, 65, was convicted in June by a Scott County jury of two counts of child molesting following a three-day trial. The convictions stemmed from the sexual assault of a 9-year-old victim in June 2024.
At sentencing, the prosecutor’s office also proved, and the Court found, Wood to be a sex offender and a sexually violent predator under Indiana law. As a result, Wood will be required to register on Indiana’s Sex and Violent Offender Registry for the remainder of his life.
The court determined that he should be a credit restricted felon. That means Wood will receive only one day of good-time credit for every six actual days served.
In addition, because of the nature of his conviction, Wood will be subject to lifetime parole if he is ever released from the Indiana Department of Correction.
“Today’s sentence brings another important measure of justice and accountability for a child victim who demonstrated extraordinary courage,” said Scott County Prosecutor Chris Owens. “John Wood will now serve 30 years in prison. Even under the most unlikely circumstances that he lives long enough to be released from prison, he will remain subject to lifetime parole and lifetime registration as a sexually violent predator.”
“This case is also a reminder that the courage of a child can make a tremendous difference”, said Owens. “The victim in this case came forward, participated in a forensic interview, testified at trial, and endured a process that no child should ever have to experience. Because of that bravery, a dangerous offender was brought before a jury, convicted, and sentenced to decades in prison.”
“A special thank you goes to Chief Deputy Prosecutor
Amanda Herald and First Trial Deputy Mark Kiesler for their work in preparing and presenting this case to the jury,”said Owens.
