Officer Lawrence Woods had a relationship with the mother of one of his victims.
Former Flint police officer charged with criminal sex acts
Mid-Michigan now on FOX66 & NBC25
Sep 5, 2014
Former Flint Police Officer Facing Sex Crime Charges
Mid-Michigan NOW News
Sep 5, 2014
Former Flint police officer charged with criminal sex acts
Mid-Michigan NOW News
Sep 5, 2014
Former Flint police officer arraigned on 16 counts of criminal sexual conduct
Mid-Michigan NOW
Sep. 05, 2014
Fri, 05 Sep 2014 18:46:37 GMT — A former Flint police sergeant is accused of over 16 counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct, with 6 of the counts for conduct with children under the age of 13.
66-year-old Lawrence Woods was arraigned this morning at 68th District Court. He is currently being held with no bond.
At a press conference today, Flint Police Chief James Tolbert said that there have been four raids on Woods' former residences. They found hundreds of pictures of child porn, and not "run of the mill." The pictures were taken at Woods' former homes, hotels and the Flint Police Department. A total of four locations were used.
The incidents happened between 1996 and 2000.
The ages of the victims range from 11- to 30-years old, according to Chief Tolbert. There are at least 50 victims. Chief Tolbert is hoping more will come forward.
Chief Tolbert says that the crimes happened while Lawrence was serving as a police officer. Woods is currently retired from the police force.
Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton says the victims that sparked the investigation were afraid and that is why they did not come forward sooner. He says the case is very rare and that nobody, including police officers, are above the law.
"It's highly unusual because 99 point 9 percent of police officers are good hardworking, honest citizens, who would never even think to commit such an atrocious crime," said Leyton.
Pre-trial for Woods is scheduled on September 9th at 8:30 in the morning.
Retired Flint police sergeant accused of sexually assaulting children while on duty
MLive
Sep. 05, 2014
FLINT, MI -- A retired Flint police sergeant is accused of using his position as a police officer to have sex with children while on duty.
Lawrence B. Woods, 66, was arraigned Friday morning in Flint's District Court on 16 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct stemming from incidents that authorities claim occurred from 1996 until 1999 while Woods was a sergeant with the Flint Police Department.
Woods told a judge at his arraignment Friday, Sept. 5, that he understood the charges but did not make any other statements. Attorney Frank Manley is representing Woods.
"We understand the allegations are very serious. Obviously, we are in the initial portion of our investigation, but we expect to have a successful outcome," Manley said.
Woods is held without bond in the Genesee County Jail.
Investigators believe some of the alleged assaults occurred while Woods was on duty, Sgt. Karl Petrich with the Flint Police Department said at a news conference Friday afternoon, Sept. 5.
"There were incidents inside the police department and out on the street in police vehicles and on city property," he said.
Police raided four homes Thursday, Sept. 4, where they believed Woods lives or has stayed and found what Petrich called a "large amount" of child pornography.
"These victims were photographed, we believe, by him in his apartment and at a local hotel room," he said.
There were hundreds of photographs of who police believe to be minors, said Petrich.
So far, two women have come forward to claim that Woods sexually assaulted them when they were underage but Petrich said police are looking for more potential victims.
Each count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct is a felony that carries a minimum of 25 years in prison and up to a life sentence, according to Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton.
"It's a life offense. If he's convicted, there is a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years," Leyton said. "It's a very serious crime."
Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell was also at the news conference, and commended the Flint Police Department for taking the case seriously.
"The Flint Police Department investigated one of their own with no stone unturned, which tells the public out there that no one is above the law," Pickell said.
Woods joined the Flint Police Department in 1975 and earned an appreciation plaque in 1986 from the River Village Residents Association for his role in capturing several burglary suspects as a part-time security guard. Flint officials said he retired from the department but did know the date he left.
A preliminary examination in court is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 2.
Ex-Flint cop charged with abusing kids while on duty
Detroit News
September 06, 2014
Flint — Authorities are asking people to step forward if they believe they were assaulted as children by a Flint police sergeant who is charged with sexual misconduct while on duty in the 1990s.
Lawrence Woods, now 66 and retired, appeared in court Friday on charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. He was returned to jail without bond.
“There were incidents inside the police department and out on the street in police vehicles and on city property,” Sgt. Karl Petrich said.
Searches at four homes where Woods has lived or stayed revealed hundreds of images of child pornography taken by him, Petrich said.
Two women claim Woods sexually assaulted them when they were minors, but police are looking for more potential victims, Petrich said.
“We understand the allegations are very serious,” said defense attorney Frank Manley. “Obviously, we are in the initial portion of our investigation, but we expect to have a successful outcome.”
A hearing to determine if there’s probable cause to send Woods to trial is set for Oct. 2. If convicted, the mandatory minimum sentence would be 25 years in prison.
The Journal reported that Woods joined the Flint department in 1975, although the year of his retirement was not immediately known. He was honored by a homeowners association in 1986 for capturing burglary suspects while working as a part-time security guard.
Two more people accuse retired Flint police sergeant of sexually assaulting them as children
MLive
Sep. 10, 2014
FLINT, MI -- Two more people have come forward, alleging retired Flint Police Sgt. Lawrence Woods sexually assaulted them when they were children.
Woods, 66, was arraigned last Friday, Sept. 5, in Flint's District Court on 16 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct alleged with two minors from 1996 to 1999 while Woods was a sergeant with the Flint Police Department, authorities say.
Earlier this week, two more people came forward with similar allegations.
"Two more victims have come forward, and we are in the process of speaking with them right now," said Sgt. Karl Petrich with the Flint Police Department.
But, there are always questions to be answered with decades-old allegations in high-profile cases like this one, according to Frank Manley, Woods' attorney.
"Allegations that are decades old are always suspect. Evidence can be lost, and people's memories fade," Manley said. "And, there is always the question of motivation. Could they be making these claims for money or notoriety? We'll have to see if there is evidence that can actually be presented in court."
Investigators anticipated more victims would come forward once word got out about Woods' arraignment, based on the number of children shown in the hundreds of alleged child pornography photographs seized during a raid of four houses Woods lived in or stayed at, Petrich said during a news conference Friday afternoon, Sept. 5.
"These victims were photographed, we believe, by him in his apartment and at a local hotel room," Petrich said, noting they were not taken from the internet.
Investigators believe Woods not only used his position as a police officer to sexually assault children, but they also believe some of the alleged assaults occurred while Woods was on duty, Petrich said at the conference.
"There were incidents inside the police department and out on the street in police vehicles and on city property," he said.
While just four people have come forward to claim that Woods sexually assaulted them as minors, Petrich said investigators are still searching for more potential victims. The total number is unknown, but Petrich said he believes are "many" that have not come forward yet.
"The investigation is ongoing, but we are real happy with how it is going so far," he said.
Petrich expects prosecutors to review the new allegations and add additional counts of criminal sexual conduct against Woods.
Each count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct is a felony that carries a minimum of 25 years in prison and up to a life sentence.
2 more people allege abuse by former Flint officer
Detroit News
September 11, 2014
Flint — Two more people say they were assaulted as children by a Flint police sergeant who is charged with sexual misconduct while on duty in the 1990s.
Flint Police Sgt. Karl Petrich tells the Flint Journal Wednesday that authorities are investigating the claims by the two individuals. Retired Flint Police Sgt. Lawrence Woods was arraigned Friday on 16 counts of first-degree criminal sexual contact with two other minors. He was returned to jail without bond.
Authorities say some acts occurred at the police department and in police vehicles.
Frank Manley, an attorney for Woods, says decades-old allegations are suspect because evidence can be lost and memories fade.
Petrich says child pornography was seized Thursday at homes where Woods has stayed. He faces at least 25 years in prison if convicted.
Psychiatric exam ordered for retired Flint police sergeant accused of sexually assaulting children
MLive
September 23, 2014
FLINT, MI -- A retired Flint police sergeant will undergo psychiatric testing to determine if he is competent to stand trial on charges that he used his position as a police officer to have sex with children while on duty.
Attorney Frank J. Manley, who is representing Lawrence B. Woods, said his client was ordered Tuesday, Sept. 23, to undergo testing at the Michigan Center for Forensic Psychiatry to determine if he is competent to stand trial on 16 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
"The sheer magnitude of the allegations against Sgt. Woods are such that we determined a competency exam was appropriate," Manley said.
The charges were filed in connection to incidents that allegedly occurred from 1996 until 1999 while Woods was working with the Flint Police Department.
Some of the alleged assaults occurred while Woods was on duty, Flint police Sgt. Karl Petrich said during a Sept. 5 news conference announcing the charges against Woods.
"There were incidents inside the police department and out on the street in police vehicles and on city property," Petrich said.
Two more people came forward with similar accusations against Woods after the charges were announced.
Police say they have raided four homes around Flint where Woods has either stayed or lived and claim they discovered a "large amount" of child pornography.
"These victims were photographed, we believe, by him in his apartment and at a local hotel room," Petrich said.
Woods joined the Flint Police Department in 1975 and earned an appreciation plaque in 1986 from the River Village Residents Association for his role in capturing several burglary suspects as a part-time security guard.
Woods is scheduled to be back in court Nov. 25. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
Flint rocked by child sex abuse case
WXYZ News - Detroit
Sep 30, 2014
Retired Flint police sergeant pleads guilty to sexually assaulting children
MLive
Jun. 08, 2016
FLINT, MI -- A retired Flint police sergeant has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting children.
On Tuesday, June 7, Lawrence Woods plead guilty to eight counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct -- person under 13 and eight counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct -- multiple variables, according to a news release from the Flint Police Department.
During the summer of 2014, the Flint Police Department opened an investigation regarding criminal sexual conduct allegations against Woods. The investigation began after a victim came forward and reported the crimes that had been committed against them nearly 20 years ago.
In September 2014, Woods was arrested by Flint police and charged with 16 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Investigators released information to the public which brought more victims forward who disclosed their horrific past experiences with Woods. The crimes committed against the victims made them fearful to come forward and file reports, according to the release.
Woods retired from the Flint Police Department in 2002.
The Flint Police Department issued a statement commending the victims for coming forward.
"The Flint Police Department is disgusted by the actions of Lawrence Woods. His crimes victimized numerous citizens of the community that it is our duty to protect and serve. We commend the brave victims who came forward, allowing the Flint Police Department Criminal Investigations Bureau to investigate these crimes and remove this criminal from our streets." the statement reads.
Woods is scheduled to be sentenced on July 18.
Retired police sergeant wants to withdraw sexual assault plea
MLive
Jul. 18, 2016
FLINT, MI - A retired police sergeant is attempting to withdraw his guilty plea to more than a dozen counts of sexual assault after he claimed he was pressured into making the agreement.
Lawrence B. Woods was scheduled to be sentenced Monday, July 18, on 16 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. However, the sentencing hearing was delayed after Woods wrote a letter to Genesee Circuit Judge Richard Yuille claiming he was inappropriately pressured into the plea.
In the letter, Woods, 68, claimed his attorney, Carl Jordan, forced him into making the plea.
Jordan told Yuille that he went through painstaking efforts during the plea hearing to show that Woods was entering the plea at his own discretion. Jordan asked to withdraw from the case following Woods' letter, which Yuille agreed to allow.
Prosecutors say they will challenge Woods' attempt.
"We believe the plea was properly entered and we'll ask [the] judge to deny [the] request," said Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton. "We don't want to re-traumatize the victims."
During the summer of 2014, the Flint Police Department opened an investigation regarding criminal sexual conduct allegations against Woods. The investigation began after a victim came forward and reported the crimes that had been committed against them nearly 20 years ago.
Investigators released information to the public which brought more victims forward who disclosed their horrific past experiences with Woods. The crimes committed against the victims made them fearful to come forward and file reports, according to police.
Authorities claim the attacks occurred from 1996 until 1999 while Woods was a sergeant with the Flint Police Department.
Investigators said they believed some of the alleged assaults occurred while Woods was on duty. They added that there were incidents inside the police department, on the street in police vehicles and on city property.
Police raided four homes in 2014 where they believed Woods lived or stayed and found what detectives called a "large amount" of child pornography. Police believed the victims were photographed by Woods.
The plea agreement did not include a sentencing agreement from prosecutors, but Yuille advised Woods he could face up to a minimum of 25 years in prison. The charges carry a potential sentence of life in prison.
Yuille allowed Woods two weeks to hire a new attorney who will be responsible for filing an official motion to withdraw a plea. A hearing will be held on the motion once it is filed.
Former Flint PD Sergeant Lawrence Woods - Sentenced on CSC Convictions
Michigan Department Of Corrections
November 15, 2016
Ex-cop gets prison after raping children while on duty
MLive
Nov. 16, 2016
FLINT, MI -- Former Flint police Sgt. Lawrence Woods will spend more than a decade in prison in connection with sexual assaults that took place while he was still on the force.
Woods, 68, was sentenced Tuesday, Nov. 15, to 15-25 years in prison after he plead guilty in June on 16 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct that included persons under 13 years old.
An investigation was opened by Flint police in summer 2014 after a victim stepped forward with allegations of incidents two decades prior
Other victims came out with their own stories of inappropriate conduct by Woods between 1996-1999. Woods retired from the department in 2002.
Investigators revealed in September 2014 they'd unearthed a substantial amount of child pornography at four homes Woods lived or stayed at in the past.
A woman who identified herself as a victim told Genesee Circuit Judge Richard Yuille prior to the sentence that Woods befriended her mother, offered her drugs and would take the children out to dinner, shopping, and swimming.
"I feel like in the beginning, he sweetened us up," said the woman, whom told the court Woods soon began to force her to perform sexual acts in his living room and would threaten and beat her if he believed another man touched her.
MLive-The Flint Journal does not identify victims of sexual assault.
The woman told the judge Woods would force her to perform sexual acts on him while in the police department office and cop car.
"Not only did I put my trust in him, but my mother ... as well, and they both failed me," said the mother of three children.
She didn't understand why no one at the police department ever stepped forward to question her appearance in the office late at night.
"I didn't know if it was the fear they had from him, because I had it as well," said the woman.
She shared a story of Woods ripping into a fellow officer after he pulled the car over for excessive speed down a Flint street.
"That was the day I knew nobody could protect me from him," she said.
Flint police issued a statement after Woods pleaded guilty.
"The Flint Police Department is disgusted by the actions of Lawrence Woods. His crimes victimized numerous citizens of the community that it is our duty to protect and serve," read the statement. "We commend the brave victims who came forward, allowing the Flint Police Department Criminal Investigations Bureau to investigate these crimes and remove this criminal from our streets."
The woman said she tried to get out of Woods' grasp by finding her father's side of the family, but she said he would always manage to find her and kept a constant surveillance on her whereabouts.
Woods arranged sensors and placed powder on the floor at his Flint apartment while he was gone to find out if anyone came into the dwelling or if she left at any point, she told the court.
"He has single-handedly destroyed what was left in me. I have dreams about him, the scent of his cologne, I still smell it," she said. "If I'm out in public and I smell it or if I see a car that he drove that I was forced to do stuff in, it sends me into a rage. A rage that I can't understand."
The woman asked Yuille to "please don't allow him to see the light of day again or be able to hurt anyone else ever."
Woods said he never beat anyone or forced anyone to take part in any illicit behavior while he was a Flint police officer.
"I'm being sent to prison on unsubstantiated lies and to be murdered by the same people I defended my life to protect society against," he said. "I have definitive proof of my innocence."
But Yuille questioned the sincerity of Woods' comments, saying he used his stature as a police officer "to prey upon those individuals among us who are most vulnerable." He also thanked the victims for stepping forward.
"I hope they realize what they've done is the right thing," he said.
Woods received a little more than two years time served in the case.
He attempted to withdraw his guilty plea prior to the sentencing date, but the request was denied.
His plea agreement includes lifetime registry on the sex offender list, required testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, and lifetime electronic monitoring upon release from prison.
