ROBERT MELLON FROM NEWPORT CAUGHT IN PAEDOPHILE HUNT AT CARDIFF CROWN COURT
In May 2025, Robert Mellon, a 57-year-old man from Newport, found himself at the center of a serious criminal case involving online predatory behavior and previous convictions related to child sexual offenses.The incident unfolded when Mellon engaged in a disturbing online conversation with what he believed was a 14-year-old girl named Ella, but in reality, he was communicating with members of a paedophile hunting team known as Dank Dragon.
According to prosecutor Abigail Jackson, Mellon initiated contact with the decoy profile, which was designed to resemble a young girl from Cardiff.
His first message was a provocative 'Hi sexy!', setting the tone for the subsequent exchanges.
Over the course of several weeks, Mellon persistently engaged with the decoy, asking personal questions about her sexual activities and appearance.
He inquired whether she shaved her genitalia and complimented her by calling her beautiful and sexy.
Jackson explained that Mellon discussed explicit sexual topics in detail, including asking for nude photographs of her while she was in the bath.
Throughout the conversations, Mellon was under the impression that he was speaking to an actual 14-year-old girl, which underscores the gravity of his intentions and actions.
In court, it was revealed that Mellon had a long history of criminal behavior, with over 20 years of repeated offenses.
He has a total of 14 previous convictions for 27 separate crimes, many of which involve sexual offenses against minors.
His criminal record includes a 2011 conviction for three counts of sexual activity with a child under 16, which resulted in a jail sentence after he breached a community order.
In 2018, he was sentenced to 12 months for attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
Further, Mellon was imprisoned in May 2021 for 15 months after breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and attempting to meet a 14-year-old girl for sexual purposes, again as part of a paedophile hunter operation.
His pattern of offending continued with subsequent breaches of the SHPO, leading to additional jail terms of 12 months in May 2022 and 16 months in February 2023.
During the current proceedings, prosecutor Jackson emphasized that Mellon’s latest actions represented a serious and persistent attempt to breach his existing legal restrictions, which were aggravated by his history of similar offenses.
Defense attorney Harry Baker requested that Mellon receive credit for his early guilty pleas, but Judge Paul Hobson was unequivocal in his assessment, stating, “It is very plain to me that you are a paedophile whose sexual interest in children shows no sign of abating.” As a result, Mellon was sentenced to 32 months in prison.
The judge ordered that he serve half of that sentence before being eligible for release.
Additionally, Mellon was mandated to register as a sex offender and was placed under an indefinite SHPO, ensuring ongoing legal restrictions to prevent further offenses.
The court’s decision underscores the severity of his repeated violations and the ongoing threat he poses to the community of Newport and beyond.
