KHALID AL, COVENTRY STUDENT, SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENCES

In October 2004, a 19-year-old Coventry student named Khalid Al-Rayes was sentenced to serve time in a young offenders' institution after being found guilty of possessing highly explicit child pornography. Al-Rayes pleaded guilty to 11 charges related to creating indecent images of children between April and June of that year. As part of his sentence, he was also ordered to register as a sex offender for seven years, and the case was heard at Coventry Crown Court.

He denied an additional 59 charges of producing indecent images and two counts of inciting others to do so, which were allowed to lie on file.

During the investigation, it was established that Al-Rayes, a master's student at Warwick University, had stored these images on his computer while residing in the university’s Rootes Building. His actions came to light after other students used the same computer.

Police were alerted, and on June 2, they executed a raid on his room, confiscated his computer, and arrested him. Prosecutor Simon Phillips explained that Al-Rayes had downloaded 33 movie files and two still images through a file-sharing program. Among these, 21 files were classified as level four, depicting penetrative sex involving adults and children, while three files were deemed level five, which involved acts of sadism.

Mr. Phillips stated that Al-Rayes downloaded this material out of curiosity about what paedophiles did, not for sexual gratification.

Defending him, Gareth Rees mentioned that Al-Rayes had the support of his family and intended to return to his home country of Bahrain after serving his sentence.

Judge James Pyke commented on the case, saying, “I find it difficult to accept you accessed this material simply out of some curiosity. The volume of material indicates more systematic or involved interest in that material. Those who provide a market for them (child pornography images) must shoulder responsibility for the abuse and degradation that children in them are subjected to.”

Warwick University spokesperson Peter Dunn highlighted the role of students in apprehending Al-Rayes. He stated, “We think he should be punished for what he’s done. The key thing is that it was other students who caught him after being disgusted by what they found. There are students who are law-abiding, decent people who should be congratulated on catching this person and incarcerating him in prison where he should be.”