In January 2026, the Offender Database reported that Liron Velleman, 30, a former Barnet councillor, pleaded guilty at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court to targeting a 13-year-old girl in a predatory “sting” operation. Velleman was a prominent member of the Jewish Labour Movement and was elected to represent the Childs Hill ward in 2022, before abruptly resigning his post in April 2025.
The court heard that the paedophile was caught during a Metropolitan Police proactive operation. Between December 3 and December 10, 2024, Velleman sent explicit sexual images to a person he believed was a 13-year-old girl. Prosecutors revealed that during these communications, he asked the child if she was a virgin and explicitly demanded, “Show me your bra.” He admitted to one count of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and one count of an offender over 18 trying to cause a child (aged 13 to 15) to watch or look at an image of sexual activity.
During the hearing, Velleman’s defence counsel, Ali Hussein, argued that his client was a “family man” of previous good character who was currently unemployed and suffering from depression. However, the prosecution emphasised the age of the victim and the direct, explicit nature of the demands made by the former public official. The court noted that Velleman’s sudden resignation from the council in 2025 followed the timeline of the police investigation into his digital activities.
Liron Velleman was granted conditional bail and is scheduled to return to Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on February 10, 2026. His bail conditions strictly prohibit him from being in the company of anyone under the age of 18. Given the nature of the offences and the age of the victim, the court has the option to commit the case to a Crown Court for a more severe custodial sentence than magistrates can typically impose.
As a result of his guilty pleas to sexual offences against a child, Velleman is now required to register as a sex offender. He is managed under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in London. Upon his final sentencing, he will likely be made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which will include lifelong restrictions on his internet use and his ability to hold positions of trust or enter political office.
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