Sex Offender Sentenced for Failing to Comply with Registry Requirements

In a recent court ruling, Michael Ide, a 79 year old resident of Burgoyne Road in Thornhill, Southampton, has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for failing to comply with his Sex Offenders’ Register (SOR) notification requirements. This decision came after Ide, a registered sex offender since 1998, was found to have breached several conditions of his SOR.

Ide’s initial conviction dates back to 1998 when he was ordered to sign the SOR following a conviction for gross indecency with a child. Among his SOR requirements was the provision that he must inform the police at least seven days before traveling outside of the UK.

Earlier this year, officers received information indicating that Ide had traveled to the Philippines in April and stayed there for a month without notifying the authorities as required. Following this information, police visited Ide’s residence, arrested him on suspicion of breaching his SOR, and conducted a search of his house under Section 32 of the Police & Criminal Evidence Act 1984.

During the search, Ide’s passport was seized, revealing an arrival date in the Philippines of 25 April and a departure date of 23 May. It was discovered that Ide had neither registered this travel nor his new passport, both of which were obligations under his SOR.

Further investigation into Ide’s activities revealed that he had been using Facebook Messenger under an alias that had not been registered with the police, constituting yet another breach of his SOR.

Facing the evidence against him, Ide pleaded guilty to these violations and was subsequently sentenced to 16 months in prison. This ruling was handed down at Southampton Crown Court on Wednesday, 20 September, highlighting the seriousness with which the justice system regards non-compliance with sex offender registry requirements.

The case serves as a reminder of the importance of monitoring and enforcing sex offender registry requirements to ensure the safety of communities and compliance with the law. The police continue to prioritise the enforcement of such regulations to protect vulnerable individuals and uphold public safety.