Twisted father who repeatedly raped his two stepdaughters from the age of 12 is free to roam his victims' home town as he's pictured sipping on wine and gorging on pizza - despite pleading guilty to horrific sexual abuse charges two MONTHS ago

 

  • Victor Ian Melville, 65, played Australian rules football across the country 
  • He raped his two young stepdaughters behind closed doors on family holidays 
  • Paedophile pleaded guilty to six sexual abuse charges in New South Wales 
  • Victims are shocked he is still out on bail in WA despite being a serial paedophile 

A father who raped his two stepdaughters from the age of 12 is free to roam the streets of Perth and sit in the sun for pizza and wine - despite pleading guilty to horrific sexual abuse months ago.

Victor Ian Melville, 65, moved his family around as he played Australian rules football in South Australia and Western Australia for clubs including West Adelaide, Claremont and Subiaco during the late 70s and early 80s.

Behind closed doors the serial paedophile subjected his young stepdaughters, Lisa and Julie Morgan, to repeated sexual assaults that are too sickening to publish, in a campaign of sexual terror that lasted for a decade.

The abuse - which occurred around Australia as well as overseas - started for Lisa in 1979 when she was just 11, and then in 1984 Melville began to prey on 12-year-old Julie. 

Melville finally admitted his crimes in New South Wales in August, pleading guilty in the Sydney District Court to historical child sex charges, 15 years after being found guilty of 32 similar offences in Perth, suddenly reversing decades of denials. 

But the sex offender's bail was not revoked and he remains a free man living in the same Western Australian community as his victims while awaiting sentencing on the other side of the country. 

'What I think is outrageous, he is a convicted paedophile, he has pleaded guilty to further chargers in NSW, and he is now residing in WA,' Julie, now 49, told Daily Mail Australia. 

Julie has seen her abuser in the Perth community on multiple occasions. Just a few weeks ago she spotted him sitting outside for lunch with his nephew

Julie has seen her abuser in the Perth community on multiple occasions. Just a few weeks ago she spotted him sitting outside for lunch with his nephew

Victor Ian Melville subjected his young stepdaughters, Lisa and Julie Morgan (pictured), to repeated sexual assaults that lasted for a decade

Victor Ian Melville subjected his young stepdaughters, Lisa and Julie Morgan (pictured), to repeated sexual assaults that lasted for a decade

'NSW didn't extradite him. He doesn't need to check into a police station, he is not on a monitor. He is really uninterrupted. His life goes on.

'He's in the western suburbs, where I live. In the last few weeks, I've seen him multiple times as he's in the same area I am.

'There's probably other people that want to know this information to keep their children safe, themselves safe.' 

Julie has been putting persistent pressure on authorities in both WA and NSW in a bid to remove Melville from the streets. She has been met with dead ends and radio silence. 

'I have been making lots of phone calls, emails, trying to get a response from the politicians, government agencies,' she said.

'Everyone seems to be pointing the finger.'   

Julie believes there is a 'huge risk' allowing the convicted paedophile to reside in Perth and WA authorities should be ordering NSW to remove him.  

'What I'm annoyed with is people don't realise the seriousness of having him in the community,' she said. 

Julie (pictured with Melville) shared this innocent family snap at her grandmother's home on the mid-north NSW coast before she was sexually assaulted

Julie (pictured with Melville) shared this innocent family snap at her grandmother's home on the mid-north NSW coast before she was sexually assaulted 

Melville began to prey on Julie, now 49, (pictured) when she was just 12 years old
The abuse started for sister Lisa, now 53, (pictured) in 1979 when she was just 11

The abuse started for Lisa Morgan, now 53, (right) in 1979 when she was just 11, and then in 1984 Melville began to prey on 12-year-old Julie, now 49 (left)  

'He should not be WA's responsibility.

'NSW need to extradite him and hold him in remand until sentencing.'

Lisa also believes Melville's freedom to roam around Perth was putting the community at 'risk'.

'I don't think people realise that having sexual predators on the streets in our communities right now puts our children at risk,' She said.

'Unfortunately Vic Melville is one of those people that considers himself above the law.' 

Julie said Melville's offending is not 'isolated' and he abused her all over Australia and overseas. The Morgan sisters simply made the decision together to take their case against Melville further in NSW courts.  

'Wherever we travelled as a family, he committed crimes. America, Canada, Hawaii. Every single place we travelled to, he abused myself and my sister,' she explained.

'It happened over decades, basically on a daily basis.

'I have no doubt he would re-offend.'  

Melville was photographed by The West Australian in sunglasses and a cap as he freely walked around Kings Park this week. 

Julie (left with her sister) believes there is a 'huge risk' allowing the convicted paedophile to reside in Perth and WA authorities should be ordering NSW to remove him

Julie (left with her sister) believes there is a 'huge risk' allowing the convicted paedophile to reside in Perth and WA authorities should be ordering NSW to remove him 

The sighting comes after Julie saw her abuser sitting outside for lunch with his nephew. 

'Having wine and prawn pizza, sitting at an alfresco restaurant,' she said.

'It's not like he's hiding in his apartment building. His arrogance is absurd.'  

Melville (pictured) finally admitted his crimes in New South Wales in August, pleading guilty in the Sydney District Court to historical child sex charges

Melville (pictured) finally admitted his crimes in New South Wales in August, pleading guilty in the Sydney District Court to historical child sex charges 

Melville started abusing Lisa in 1979 and began to prey on her sister Julie in 1984. 

'For all that time it was a secret, he also abused us everywhere we travelled as a family - New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Hawaii,' Julie previously told Daily Mail Australia.

'I don't know how I got up every day but I finished Year 12 and I went to university. Seeking justice has given me that energy to know that I'm doing the right thing.'

Julie shared one of the only pictures taken of her with her stepfather at their grandmother's house on the mid-north NSW coast.

It was there that one of the sickening attacks took place, on the hill where the pair posed for the seemingly innocent snap.

She said: 'He walked me up the hill and I was assaulted. At this time he had already been abusing me for three years.'

Lisa, now 53, was horrified when she learned her paedophile stepfather was also abusing her little sister, having spent years believing it was only happening to her.

But the sisters said the predator was able to 'mentally manipulate' them both as the family moved around the country for his football career.

Julie said: 'He said to me 'go and tell your mother, you think she doesn't know what's going on' so there was a feeling of 'gosh, does she?' so that we didn't get close to each other.

Melville (left) served eight years in jail and two on parole for sexual offences against his two stepdaughters between 1979 and 1989 in Western Australia

Melville (left) served eight years in jail and two on parole for sexual offences against his two stepdaughters between 1979 and 1989 in Western Australia

That was a lie, as their mother never knew what he was doing to the sisters.

In 2005, Melville was convicted of 32 child sex crimes in Western Australia, the details of each offence too shocking to publish.

He was jailed for six years but refused to admit he was guilty and he lodged an appeal which resulted in four years being added to his sentence.

But in an extraordinary turn of events he was released into the same community as his stepdaughters in 2013 and authorities failed to tell the two girls about his movements.

Melville remains on bail as he awaits sentencing. 

He has a mention hearing with NSW on October 19.  

The NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions told Julie that Melville must prove at the hearing he has made attempts to travel to NSW.  

If Melville doesn't follow this requirement, he may be extradited to NSW. 

'We're one country but we're operating so independently,' Julie said.

'Between states there are all these gaps that are left. There are no national laws that can link it all together.'

The Morgan sisters are pictured during their childhood. The pair are focusing on advocacy for victims to ensure they are supported while telling their stories

The Morgan sisters are pictured during their childhood. The pair are focusing on advocacy for victims to ensure they are supported while telling their stories

The victim has already been warned the sentencing could be delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

'No outcome will take back what he's taken away,' she said.

'For me, it's about the hope of making changes for others - making reforms that will support the victims.' 

Lisa said she feels a 'responsibility' to protect children after suffering at the hands of her stepfather.

'I can't change what happened or fix my marriage that suffered as a result of things, I can't repair my relationship with my mother or brother, but I can make sure I am that safe person for my kids and or their friends to come to,' she said.

'I want to bring awareness and start having those tough conversations on something that exists in our community but we choose to ignore as it is so confronting to talk about.'

Since Daily Mail Australia published the Morgan sisters' story in August, Lisa said she has had eight women contact her to ask for 'help'.

'It is either happening right now to them or happened in the past and they want help to make it stop,' she said. 


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