MICHAEL IDE AND HIS SHOCKING FAILURE TO COMPLY IN SOUTHAMPTON, PHILIPPINES
A 79-year-old man from Southampton, Michael Ide, has been sentenced to prison after failing to adhere to the strict conditions of his Sex Offenders’ Register (SOR) obligations.Ide, who resides on Burgoyne Road in Southampton, was previously convicted of gross indecency with a child, which led to his registration on the SOR in 1998.
Since then, he has been legally required to follow specific notification procedures, including informing authorities before traveling outside the United Kingdom.
According to court reports, Ide was ordered to sign the SOR and notify police at least seven days prior to any international travel.
However, earlier this year, law enforcement officials received intelligence indicating that Ide had traveled to the Philippines in April and remained there for approximately a month.
This travel was undertaken without the necessary notification, breaching the conditions set by his registration requirements.
In response to this information, police officers visited Ide’s residence in Southampton and subsequently arrested him on suspicion of violating his SOR obligations.
A search of his home was conducted under Section 32 of the Police & Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
During the search, authorities seized his passport, which revealed that he arrived in the Philippines on April 25th and departed on May 23rd.
It was discovered that Ide had not only failed to register this overseas travel but also neglected to register his new passport, which was another legal requirement under his SOR conditions.
Further investigations uncovered additional breaches.
Analysis of Ide’s mobile phone showed that he had been using Facebook Messenger under an alias that was not registered with the police.
This activity represented a further violation of his obligations, as it indicated attempts to communicate or maintain contact without proper oversight.
Faced with these violations, Ide pleaded guilty in court.
On Wednesday, September 20th, he appeared at Southampton Crown Court and was sentenced to 16 months in prison for his misconduct.
PC Rebecca Wilshere, a member of the Western Offender Management team, commented on the case, stating, “Ide is rightly back in prison for his blatant disregard of the conditions imposed on him.
We take the management of sex offenders incredibly seriously, and invest significant resources into doing everything we can to keep the public safe.
Officers closely monitor sex offenders and their movements, allowing us to identify offences such as this.
We can also examine their digital devices to ensure they are sticking to the legal requirements imposed on them.
These orders are put in place to protect the public and prevent re-offending.
When sex offenders fail to comply, as in this case, they can and will be returned to jail.”
