Liron Velleman pleaded guilty to attempting multiple child sex offences following a police sting operation
The date of a former Barnet councillor’s sentencing for child sex offences has now been confirmed. Liron Velleman, a 30-year-old former Labour representative for Whetsone ward, pleaded guilty last month to attempting multiple child sex offences.
He was due to be sentenced on February 10 but the judge at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court decided Velleman’s offences, which include attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, were too serious. Sentencing was postponed and referred to Harrow Crown Court at an unspecified date.
It has now been confirmed that Velleman, of Holdsworth Avenue, North Finchley, will be sentenced on March 20. As Harrow’s court building is currently closed the exact location will be confirmed closer to the date. Southwark Crown Court has been named as a potential location.
While explaining her decision to defer the matter, District Judge Ashwinder Kaur Gill noted that sentencing guidelines outline potential for an 18-month prison term, which is beyond the powers of a magistrates court. Speaking on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) before the decision, Zahid Hussain said: “There must be a deterrent sentence because paedophilia has reached epidemic proportions and is perpetrated by defendants like the one who sits before you.”
The court heard how, during a Metropolitan Police sting operation, which occurred between December 3 and December 10 2024, Velleman believed he was talking with a 13-year-old girl. In this period he sent 21 pages of messages including multiple requests to see what he thought was an under-aged child in her bra and pyjamas. Velleman also sent images and a live video of his erect penis.
Defence barrister Ali Hussain accepted the decision to raise the sentencing to crown court but asked for reporting restrictions on some elements of the case because members of the Jewish community “have been the target of a certain level of discrimination in the past few months”. However, these restrictions were denied, in part because the defence had failed to submit the neccessary forms.
Velleman is currently on bail with conditions stipulating he cannot be in the company of anyone under the age of 18 unless supervised by an adult aware of these measures. He is also now on the sex offenders’ register.
