Two sibling paedophiles, Michael Lai and William Lai, who amassed a collection of 47,000 photographs depicting child sexual assault over five years have been apprehended during a police raid.
Michael Lai and William Lai, aged 61 and 67, amassed explicit pornography depicting children as young as nine enduring appalling acts of abuse.
The brothers, Michael Lai and William Lai, made an appearance at the Old Bailey on Friday (August 4 2023) following their admission of guilt to three counts of possessing indecent pictures of youngsters.
During a raid conducted by National Crime Agency police at Michael’s residence on Castlemaine Avenue, Croydon, in November 2019, he admitted to downloading explicit photos.
According to prosecutor Alice Holloway, the individual informed the authorities that a computer tower and three hard drives found in his residence were the property of his brother, William.
An examination of the devices uncovered the presence of explicit photographs involving minors, which were created as early as January 2015.
Michael was attributed 35,101 photos, while William was attributed 11,863 photographs.
Judge Simon Medland KC said neither of the brothers conforms to the typical perception of a defendant in the crown court.
“Externally, Michael Lai and William Lai possess the qualities that society would perceive as highly respectable middle-aged men. However, deep within each of you lies a concealed and troubling secret.”
He stated: “It is crucial to comprehend that those are authentic depictions of children enduring abuse, children who will have to bear the burden of knowing that those images exist indefinitely.”
Both individuals, Michael Lai and William Lai, were issued suspended sentences, resulting in their release from the Old Bailey without serving time in prison.
Judge Medland clarified that the brothers, Michael Lai and William Lai, were not formally accused until March 2023, and he was obligated to factor in this three-year delay when determining their sentence.
He stated, “In reaching this decision, I want to make it clear that this court regards this offence with utmost seriousness.” The behaviour is disgusting and objectionable, and it ought to cease.
“Considering the time it took to bring charges, your admission of guilt, and your positive reputation before this offence, I am obligated to make a decision.”
Judge Medland expressed his perplexity at the police’s delay of over three years in charging the Lai brothers following the raid.
William, residing at Pheasant Field Drive in Derby, received a 20-month prison term suspended for two years. Similarly, Michael was sentenced to two years in prison, which has also been postponed for two years.
Both brothers will be included on the sex offenders register for ten years and will be bound by a sexual harm prevention order.
William received a fine of £1,500, whereas Michael was fined £2,500.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.