LINCOLN SEX OFFENDER DAVID MELLOR SENTENCED TO SIX YEARS FOR CHILD IMAGE CRIMES IN LINCOLN

In December 2012, a serious case involving a convicted sex offender from Lincoln culminated in a significant prison sentence. David Mellor, aged 62 and residing on Walford Drive in Lincoln, was formally sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court to six years in prison, accompanied by a four-year extension on licence. The charges against Mellor included the possession, creation, and distribution of indecent images of children, as well as a breach of a previously imposed Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

This case was not Mellor’s first encounter with the law for similar offences; he had previously been jailed in 2006 for paedophile crimes. However, the recent sentencing was based on new allegations and evidence that surfaced during the investigation. Mellor admitted to 18 separate sex offences involving indecent images of children, which led to his conviction and subsequent sentencing.

The recent charges stemmed from an incident in January of the same year, when authorities identified that Mellor had uploaded indecent images of children to an online hosting platform. The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) played a crucial role in this discovery. Their Image Analysis and Victim Identification team meticulously examined the images, which allowed them to determine the geographical origin of the content. The analysis pinpointed Lincoln as the location where the images were taken.

Following this, officers from Lincolnshire Police’s Internet Child Abuse Team launched a detailed investigation. Using their extensive local knowledge and investigative skills, they narrowed down the location to a specific street within Lincoln. Further research and analysis led to the identification of a single address, which ultimately resulted in the arrest of David Mellor.

As a direct consequence of this investigation, two young girls under the age of 13 were safeguarded from any contact with Mellor. The police emphasized the importance of this outcome, highlighting the effectiveness of their combined efforts with CEOP in protecting vulnerable children.

Detective Inspector Sean Baxter expressed the significance of the case, stating, “We hope this investigation and subsequent conviction demonstrates to people in Lincolnshire how effective we and our partners at CEOP are in terms of tackling this type of crime. The expertise of CEOP staff and the local knowledge and determination of our Lincolnshire Internet Child Abuse Team officers has enabled us to put this dangerous sex offender behind bars. Perhaps most importantly, it also led to the safeguarding of two young children, who are now living in another part of the country.”

Peter Davies, the Chief Executive of CEOP and a former Assistant Chief Constable at Lincolnshire Police, underscored the global reach of their efforts. He remarked, “This case shows the reach of CEOP through our close work with law enforcement and other partners all over the world. Offenders may think their activities are anonymous online but this is simply not the case. They can and will be found and have to face the consequences of their actions.”