UK'S TOP ELVIS IMPERSONATOR LOUIS FELLA FROM MERSEYSIDE JAILED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENCES

In July 2014, Louis Fella, a renowned Elvis impersonator from Merseyside, was sentenced to a year in prison for possessing and sharing over 900 indecent images and videos of children. Fella, 53, who once performed in front of big crowds including a gig for Elton John and appeared on shows like The Jerry Springer Show, was found to have stored 917 illegal images and four movies on his computers and an SD card during a police raid at his home in Grantham Drive, Birkdale, and at his business, the Sun Recording Studio in Southport.

Police investigation was prompted after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children flagged the uploading of indecent images to an online storage site. During the raid, authorities recovered the files, which included some classified as the most severe category of child exploitation material. Further analysis showed Fella had shared some of these files online with others who shared similar tendencies.

In interviews, Fella admitted to engaging online as a 13-year-old girl named Becky to carry out sexual chats with men but denied actively distributing images at that time. However, in court, he pleaded guilty to 19 counts related to possessing and distributing such images.

Fella's defense attorney, David Morton, argued that his client viewed his actions as part of a private and deviant fantasy world, claiming he did not grasp the gravity of his behavior and expressed remorse, noting that Fella suffered from self-loathing that sometimes led to self-harm.

Known locally for his tribute to “The King” on the Southport seafront, Fella has a history of performing internationally. His career highlights include being signed by Sony BMG in 2002 to promote Elvis’s No. 1’s album, appearances on American TV shows like The Jerry Springer Show, and performances alongside stars like Liam Gallagher, Tom Jones, Lulu, and Shirley Bassey at notable events. He also performed for Sir Elton John at his charity White Tie & Tiara Summer Ball.

Following the child porn revelations, his personal life was affected, with reports indicating that his relationship had ended. Judge Andrew Hatton, who viewed the evidence, stated that he had no choice but to impose an immediate custodial sentence. The judge condemned a particularly disturbing image depicting a six-year-old girl being abused, emphasizing the heinous nature of the crimes and the fact that Fella viewed and distributed such material.

Fella, who served 12 years in the Army before starting his Elvis career, was also handed a ten-year sexual offences prevention order and was registered as a sex offender. When being photographed ahead of his court appearance, he had already shaved off his Elvis-style sideburns.

In June 2014, prior reports had already exposed Fella’s criminal activities, describing him as a performer who had appeared before large audiences and with well-known celebrities, unaware of his dark secret involving child exploitation images. During police questioning, Fella was unresponsive, simply saying, “Is that right?” before ending the call.

He is scheduled for sentencing on July 17, with the court hearing that he had pleaded guilty to multiple counts, including making, downloading, and distributing indecent images, with some classified as the most serious levels 4 and 5, and possessing three indecent movies of children. Fella was released on bail but forbidden from unsupervised contact with any minors under 16. Officials remain unaware of his whereabouts at his residence on Grantham Close.