Former Labour councillor Liron Velleman, 31, has dodged jail despite sending a nude video to someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl. The shocking messages were actually exchanged with an undercover Metropolitan Police officer posing as a minor.
Undercover Sting Uncovers Lewd Messages
Using the alias “Tim Graham 95,” Velleman messaged the supposed schoolgirl on online chatrooms and Snapchat, urging her to send risqué photos wearing a dressing gown, pyjamas, and a bra and crop top. He sent a picture of himself in just his underwear along with a video of his penis.
Downfall of a Former Anti-Racism Activist
Velleman, who had been an officer in the Jewish Labour Movement and involved with anti-racism group Hope Not Hate, resigned from his role as a Whetstone councillor in Barnet, north London, after his arrest for child sexual offences.
Suspended Sentence and Tough Conditions
At Southwark Crown Court, Judge James Lofthouse handed Velleman an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 15 months. The judge scolded him:
“You know you have no one to blame for the disintegration of your personal and professional life but yourself. This is where your reckless, vile and frankly devious interest in children has led you. This could have been a real child.”
Since the scandal broke, Velleman’s wife has left him, and he now has limited supervised contact with his young son. He was ordered to complete 180 hours of community service and 20 days of rehabilitation. He will remain on the Sex Offenders Register and under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years, plus pay £150 in costs and a £187 victim surcharge.
