Man has jail term extended after victim reports more child sex offences

A man has had his time in jail extended today (Friday 22 April) after one of his victims came forward with more information about his offending.

Melvin Miller, 46 years, of Mountsfield in Frome, Somerset was jailed for 16 years in April 2020 after he admitted 35 charges of sexual activity with two children in the Merseyside area.

Miller was also convicted of multiple charges of possessing more than 80,000 indecent images ranging from Category A to Category C, and told he would be on 12 months extended licence following his release as well as being handed a sexual harm prevention order for the rest of his life.

After Miller was jailed, one of his victims disclosed more harrowing details of his offences, and investigators discovered evidence he had taken images and filmed some of his abuse.

Miller was charged while in prison with three additional charges of rape, two of attempted rape and one of making an indecent video of a child.

He pleaded guilty to the offences and was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court today for 15 years, to be served concurrently with his existing sentence.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Inspector Yoseph Al-Ramadhan, said: “Miller’s offences were truly appalling. He is a dangerous sexual predator, who will now face even longer in prison and a lifetime of monitoring.

“Thanks to the immense bravery of his victims, who are both still children, Miller was jailed for a significant period of time two years ago.

“The victim who has had the strength to recount more of his awful offending has enabled Merseyside Police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the courts to extend the time he will spend in prison and further protect the public from the harm Miller poses.

“It has been an extremely difficult process for the victims, and I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to their courage. Despite the unimaginable suffering they were put through by Miller, they have come out of their experience with the strength and fortitude to speak to police and co-operate with the court process, and helped bring this dangerous man to justice.

“I hope the outcome will in some part enable his victims to continue the healing process as they rebuild their lives, free of this appalling predator, and give others the confidence to come forward and report similar incidents.”

Det Insp Al-Ramadhan added: “We treat all allegations of sexual offences sensitively and with compassion, and have specially trained officers who ensure victims are listened to, safeguarded and supported from the moment they report a crime and right through the judicial process.

“Miller was found with a huge number of indecent images on his arrest, each representing many more victims of abuse. They had been exploited for the benefit of Miller and similarly depraved people, and we will continue to proactively investigate all reports of people in possession of such material.

“If anybody else is out there suffering in silence I want you to know that there is help and support available, both from Merseyside Police, and from reliable and trusted support groups who will stand with you from the initial report and for as long as you need.”

Anyone with information or wants to report sexual offence allegation is asked to call 101 where you will be spoken to by specially trained officers or you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

If you’ve been affected by sexual violence of any kind don’t be afraid to tell someone, find the courage to come forward and get the help you deserve.

You can report rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences anonymously here: Report rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences | Merseyside Police 

There is a lot of support available from specialist officers within Merseyside Police and through the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Victim Care Merseyside service delivered jointly by two registered charities.

In Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral, support is provided by Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (RASA) Merseyside who are available on 0151 558 1801 and, in St Helens and Knowsley, by the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) Cheshire and Merseyside who can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063.