Chris Andrew Mellon filmed scenes for Disney musical after he was caught with a stash of vile images of young kids being abused
A PERVERT actor starred alongside Emma Watson in Disney’s Beauty And The Beast months after he was caught with a stash of violent child abuse images.
The Sun can reveal Chris Andrew Mellon was under investigation when he filmed his scenes in the family blockbuster at London's Shepperton Studios.
Mellon, 55, was arrested in January 2015 when cops raided his home after a tip-off and found a USB stick hidden in a tobacco tin.
Weeks later in May he began filming alongside Watson and an A-list cast featuring Ewan McGregor, Sir Ian McKellen, Dame Emma Thompson and Downton heartthrob Dan Stevens.
Mellon played the Nasty Headmaster, his first film role after acting credits in a string of West End and regional theatre productions.
By the time the paedo was charged last November the fairy tale musical had raked in more than £900million at the box office worldwide.
Last month he was given an eight month jail sentence suspended for two years after pleading guilty to possessing indecent images of children.
A judge at Inner London crown court heard he downloaded 27 pictures of pre-pubescent children being abused between August 2007 and September 2014.
Some were in most serious category A — which includes rape and sadism.
A source said: “The police raided his house in early 2015 after a tip off.
“He maintained his innocence at first, but decided to plead guilty on the day of his trial.”
He is now subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order which restricts his internet use and bars him from unsupervised contact with children.
Mellon, originally from Newcastle, graduated with an MA in Voice Studies from the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama in 2008, according to his Facebook profile.
He describes himself as an "actor and teacher" who is "currently unable to work due to spinal surgery".
He adds: "That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it."
Tracked down by The Sun at his £677,000 home in Peckham, South London, Mellon said he did not want to talk about his conviction but claimed: “There are no victims.”
Asked if Disney producers knew about his arrest before filming, said: “I have no comment on that.”
Mellon boasted about his Disney movie role in a profile on his acting agent's website.
He said: "I loved hanging out on the set just watching skilled film actors go about their business.
"The greatest joy was seeing some of the legends of the West End auditioning right next to me.
"It was enormous fun and I even remember saying to one of the assistant choreographers that even if I didn’t get the job I’d had a splendid time and wouldn’t have missed it for the world."
We have contacted Disney for comment.
There is no suggestion film producers or other cast members were aware of Mellon's arrest.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
