Chesterfield man who shared revenge porn photos registered a sex offender “in error”

Nottingham Recorder Balraj Bhatia QC made the error while jailing Sam Mellor for 18 months following a trial.

During the hearing Recorder Bhatia told how Mellor, 22, had coerced his 17-year-old victim with naked photos she sent him - threatening to share them if she refused to meet him for sex.

Derby Crown Court heard how Mellor showed the teen - who cannot be named for legal reasons - the images had been deleted from his phone “before and after sex”.

However “jealous and controlling” Mellor - 19 at the time of the offence - “was not true to his word” - having already backed them up on another device.

The next day - March 23, 2018 - Mellor sent the photos by Whatsapp, iPhone message and Facebook to a group of friends.

He also threatened his former girlfriend after she reported him to the police.

Mellor, of of Romford Way, Barrow Hill, was acquitted of rape during a trial but admitted distributing sexual photos with intent to cause distress and witness intimidation.

Solicitors firm Elliot Mather LLP, acting for Mellor, told Derbyshire Times his entry onto the sex offender’s register was “done in error”.

Managing partner at the firm Julie Page said the offence Mellor was sentenced for “was not in fact a qualifying offence”.

On April 23 at Leicester Crown Court Recorder Bhatia ordered that all reference to Mellor being a registered sex offender be removed from the court record.

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