British Airways pays undisclosed sum to children sexually abused by pilot Simon Wood

Simon Wood was charged with sexually abusing a number of children during flight stopovers and charity work in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya

Simon Wood took his own life in 2013 after being charged with the offences (PA)

British Airways has agreed to pay an undisclosed financial sum to children who were sexually abused by one of the airline’s pilots.

Simon Wood, 54, from Hertfordshire, killed himself after he was charged with sexually abusing a number of children while conducting voluntary work for the airline and during flight stopovers in Africa.

He was accused of sexually abusing girls aged 5 to 13 between 2003 and 2013. The abuse took place in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya in hotels, orphanages and schools. A mother of some of the victims has said that Wood showered her children with gifts before bathing them.

He was charged with one count of indecent assault of a minor, two counts of making indecent photographs of minors and one count of possessing indecent images of a minor.

11 days before he was due to appear in court in August 2013, he died when he was hit by a train in an apparent suicide.

BA has said that although it is making the payments to Wood’s victims, it denies liability.

Legal representatives of some of the victims have argued that BA is responsible because the abuse took place whilst Wood was in the continent as part of his work. BA would not disclose details regarding the payments.