MALCOLM VELAHOS FROM NEWPORT ESCAPES PRISON DESPITE POSSESSING OVER 1,200 INDECENT IMAGES
In a case that has shocked the Newport community, Malcolm Velahos, a 40-year-old resident of York Place, was found to have accumulated an alarming collection of indecent images of children over a period of several years.The authorities revealed that Velahos possessed a total of 1,234 such images, which included both boys and girls, some of whom were under the age of five.
These images ranged in severity from the lowest category, level 1, to the most heinous, level 5, which can depict acts of bestiality and sadism.
Velahos, who suffers from Asperger’s syndrome—a form of autism—admitted to the offences during his court proceedings.
He pleaded guilty to 24 counts of making indecent images of children and to possessing the images themselves.
The offences spanned from the year 2000 up until March 2006, covering a period of approximately six years.
The case came to light after a routine postal interception by the Royal Mail.
A letter addressed to the Czech Republic was flagged, and authorities discovered that Velahos was the sender.
Prosecutor Laurence Jones explained that the letter contained an order for indecent images of children, along with a note indicating Velahos’s satisfaction with the material he received.
This evidence prompted further investigation.
Subsequent searches of Velahos’s residence uncovered a significant amount of digital evidence.
Police seized his computer equipment, including the hard drive and CDs, which contained numerous images.
Printed copies of some of the photographs were also found at his address, further confirming his involvement.
During police interviews, Velahos admitted to downloading the images, claiming he believed they were artistic in nature, created through special effects.
However, he also acknowledged that he used these images for sexual gratification, revealing the true nature of his actions.
Defense lawyer Leighton Hughes highlighted Velahos’s previously good character and his cooperation with authorities from the outset.
He emphasized that Velahos’s Asperger’s syndrome affected his social interactions and behavior, which the court considered during sentencing.
Judge William Gaskell, presiding over the case, decided against sending Velahos to prison.
He expressed concern that Velahos’s condition made him particularly vulnerable and that incarceration could expose him to potential harm from other prisoners.
The judge noted that Velahos’s inability to respond appropriately to others’ emotions could make him a target for violence.
Instead, Velahos was sentenced to a 12-month prison term, suspended for two years.
Additionally, he was placed under a two-year supervision order, required to register as a sex offender for ten years, and banned from accessing the internet privately for the same duration.
These measures aim to monitor and restrict his activities to prevent further offences.
