A retired BBC producer gasped in shock as he averted jail resulting from his ‘poor well being’ regardless of being discovered with greater than 800 indecent pictures of youngsters.
Victor Melleney, 76, saved 832 indecent pictures of youngsters throughout his laptop computer, desktop, two exhausting drives and a WIFI dongle between Could 2011 and October 2018.
Melleney, who labored on prime reveals together with Query Time and Panorama, admitted he was hooked on authorized pornography, however mentioned he had no real interest in indecent pictures of youngsters, Kingston Crown Court docket heard.
When he was arrested at his west London residence in 2018, Nationwide Crime Company officers discovered 612 of the 832 pictures on a tough drive, however Melleney insisted he had no concept how the unlawful materials acquired there.
The officers additionally discovered unlawful stun weapons belonging to Melleney, and he admitted 4 fees of possession of prohibited weapons for discharge of noxious fuel, specifically three Tasers and CS fuel spray, at an earlier listening to.
Final month, a jury discovered Melleney, of Holland Park, responsible of possessing indecent images of youngsters. They discovered him not responsible on three different counts.
On Friday, Decide Simon Bryan QC handed Melleney a 20-month jail sentence for the picture offence and two months for the gun offences, suspended for 2 years resulting from his poor well being and up to date coronary heart assault.
Sentencing, the choose instructed Melleney {that a} jail sentence can be ‘significantly difficult’ due to to his poor well being and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Victor Melleney (pictured), 76, saved 832 indecent pictures of youngsters throughout his laptop computer, desktop, two exhausting drives and a WIFI dongle between Could 2011 and October 2018
Decide Bryan mentioned: ‘You’re 76 years previous, of poor well being resulting from a coronary heart situation. You had a coronary heart assault and have been intensive look after a interval.
‘A jail sentence can be significantly difficult. I need to keep in mind the Covid-19 pandemic and the jail situations of what can be a comparatively brief custodial time period.
‘I keep in mind there was a substantial affect in your family and friends. You’ll have to stay with the shame and ignominy that you’ve got introduced on your self.’
Melleney should additionally go to a rehabilitation exercise requirement of 40 days and be on the intercourse offenders’ register for 10 years.
The choose additionally ordered the forfeiture and deferred destruction of his units, as they may kind a part of the kid safety Bichard Inquiry.
When Melleney was arrested at his residence in Kensington at 7am on October 15, 2018, he was sporting a dressing robe and probably the most ‘damning proof’ got here from a transportable silver hard-drive later present in one of many pockets.
Kingston Crown Court docket heard 612 of the overall 832 pictures have been discovered on the drive however Melleney insisted he had no concept how the unlawful materials acquired there.
Melleney (pictured), who labored on prime reveals together with Panorama, admitted he was hooked on authorized pornography, however mentioned he had no real interest in indecent pictures of youngsters
After eight hours and 38 minutes, the jury final month discovered Melleney responsible of possessing indecent images of youngsters.
They discovered him not responsible on three different counts: making indecent images of youngsters, possessing an excessive pornographic picture and possessing a prohibited picture.
Twice-married Melleney earlier admitted 4 fees of possession of prohibited weapons for discharge of noxious fuel, specifically three tasers and CS fuel spray. The weapons have been discovered in the course of the NCA raid.
Kieran Vaughan QC, in mitigation for Melleney, claimed he was convicted of the ‘much less critical offence’ as introduced to the jury, mentioned he was medically weak and that he labored for 30 years with an ‘unblemished report with the BBC’.
He additionally claimed that Melleney, who wore a go well with and tie within the dock, has not seen any pornography since his arrest.
He mentioned: ‘He’s of 76 years of age and of fine character till these proceedings.
‘It isn’t an exaggeration as a consequence of those proceedings he has misplaced all the things expensive to him.
‘His life has been decimated as a consequence of it. His spouse has left him. His eldest daughter doesn’t converse to him in any respect. His youngest daughter has little or no significant contact with him.’
He added: ‘He’s a lonely man residing alone as a consequence of those proceedings. His life is totally unrecognisable now in comparison with what it was when he was arrested in 2018.
‘His fall from grace from the place he beforehand stood has been seismic.’
The choose responded: ‘You would possibly say he solely has himself guilty.’
Decide Simon Bryan QC handed Melleney (pictured) a 20-month jail sentence for the picture offence and two months for the gun offences, suspended for 2 years resulting from his poor well being
Melleney beforehand instructed the courtroom that his porn habit started after he retired from working with the BBC in 1996/1997 whereas his youngsters have been at college.
‘Within the evenings if my spouse was overseas and I used to be alone it was one thing attention-grabbing to do.’
However he denied ever having any curiosity in indecent pictures of youngsters.
‘Completely not,’ he mentioned. ‘No, no sexual curiosity in youngsters in any respect. Horrible.’
The courtroom was instructed the digital content material was found when NCA officers discovered two IP addresses had obtained indecent pictures of youngsters throughout 2018.
Melleney was recognized because the subscriber to these two IP addresses, within the boroughs of Kensington and Hammersmith and Fulham.
Jurors have been instructed how peer to see (P2P) expertise, which facilitates file sharing, was used to obtain the content material.
One such instance of P2P expertise discovered on Melleney’s units was an software known as ‘Vuze’.
Vuze had been put in on a Mac Professional desktop in addition to a MacBook laptop computer and throughout each units contained file names ‘indicative of kid sexual abuse exploitation’.
An officer looked for the time period ‘PTHC’, which stands for ‘pre-teen exhausting core’, and located greater than 40 objects. Different file names have been learn out in courtroom: ‘Preteen younger’, ‘underage intercourse’, ‘pedo’.
The prosecutor additionally named search phrases present in Melleney’s Vuze historical past: ’11yo PTHC’, ‘PTHC’ and ‘pre-teen’.
Melleney beforehand instructed Kingston Crown Court docket (pictured) that his porn habit started after he retired from working with the BBC in 1996/1997 whereas his youngsters have been at college
Melleney defined that one of many negative effects of his habit to viewing pornography was a corresponding habit to downloading it.
He mentioned he would merely click on a ‘choose all’ button on purposes like Vuze, which he used to seek for and obtain materials, and easily ‘obtain the lot’.
On Friday, Ruona Iguyovwe, of the Crown Prosecution Service, mentioned that the distribution of such pictures as an ‘totally sickening follow’.
She added: ‘Victor Melleney knew he was in possession of indecent pictures of youngsters.
‘The search historical past of units recovered throughout searches of Melleney’s residence revealed downloads of pictures depicting sexual exercise involving youngsters.
‘Examination of the digital units additionally revealed software program which can be utilized by customers in sharing indecent pictures of youngsters.
‘The exhausting drives, recovered from his residence, his basement, and hidden within the pocket of a dressing robe he was sporting when he was arrested, contained sickening movies, a part of a set downloaded over years.
‘The sexual exploitation of youngsters and the distribution of pictures like that is an totally sickening follow and one which the CPS and its companions will proceed to work to root out.’
In line with IMDb, a web based database of data referring to movies and TV applications, Melleney has directed episodes for BBC present affairs programmes courting again to 1980, together with Nationwide, Panorama and Query Time.