In 2019, the Offender Database recorded that Michael Raybould, then 66, of St Peter’s Crescent, Kirkheaton, West Yorkshire, was returned to court after being caught with child abuse images while subject to a lifetime order. On appearing at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court, the defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of making an indecent photograph and breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO). The court reported that the breach was discovered on 14 August 2019, when police visited his address to verify compliance and found 78 new indecent images on his computer.
The investigation established that Raybould had a significant history of child sexual abuse offences. In July 2011, he appeared at Leeds Crown Court after amassing one of the largest collections of child pornography ever recorded, totalling 315,531 images and videos. West Yorkshire Police reported that his original collection included images of girls as young as eight and a self-made collage where he had doctored a picture of himself to appear alongside a naked child. The prosecution reported that despite the scale of his 2011 offending in Kirkheaton, West Yorkshire, he originally avoided an immediate custodial sentence.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Raybould’s original 2011 sentence of 26 weeks, suspended for two years, was described by the judge at the time as “sad and pathetic.” Kirklees Magistrates’ Court heard that the SOPO prohibited him from possessing any photograph of a child under 16 or downloading any such imagery. The prosecution reported that the discovery of new material in Kirkheaton, West Yorkshire, proved that the defendant had failed to rehabilitate and remained an active risk to children.
District Judge David Scanlon noted that the case must be returned to the higher court due to the severity of the breach. For his actions in Kirkheaton, West Yorkshire, Raybould was committed to Leeds Crown Court for sentencing on 2 July 2019. The judge noted that the Crown Court would have the power to impose a sentence exceeding the limits of the magistrates’ court, reflecting the defendant’s persistent and “vile” interest in child abuse material.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in England, Michael Raybould was handed:
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Leeds Crown Court in July 2019 following a committal from Kirklees Magistrates’ Court.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were maintained for life.
- SOPO: Found in breach of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order made in 2011.
- Criminal Record: Convicted of making indecent photographs and breaching a court order.
- Location of Offence: St Peter’s Crescent, Kirkheaton, West Yorkshire.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Raybould is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by West Yorkshire Police and the National Probation Service. Due to the “extreme and persistent” nature of his interest in child abuse imagery in Kirkheaton, West Yorkshire, his management is subject to high-level oversight by the Public Protection Unit.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Raybould must comply with notification requirements regarding his identity and residence for the remainder of his life. Authorities state that his history of amassing over 300,000 images and breaching his court order necessitates permanent and stringent monitoring of his digital devices. Any further breach of his registration conditions or sexual misconduct in West Yorkshire or elsewhere will result in immediate arrest and a return to the court system for a lengthier term of incarceration.
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