Millionaire to be sentenced for having sex with underage teen on autopiloted plane
The New York Post
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A New Jersey millionaire could be heading to the slammer for the next five years after engaging in sexual acts with a minor — including once on his private plane while it was in autopilot mode, according to a federal complaint.
Stephen Bradley Mell, of Somerset County, was allegedly introduced to the 15-year-old girl by her own mother — who wanted the teen to take flying lessons, the Bridgewater Courier News reports, citing the complaint.
Mell, a 53-year-old father of three, began chatting with the girl in 2017 — exchanging text messages and SnapChat photos — before eventually arraigning to meet up at his $3.8 million mansion in Bedminster, the complaint says.
Mell allegedly “performed oral sex acts” on the girl on June 20 and then again several weeks later after sending her a message that said, “Miss you so much.”
The two of them would often discuss having sex and using birth control, with Mell allegedly purchasing an emergency contraceptive pill on July 6, the complaint says.
“If you are nervous it will hurt more,” Mell allegedly told the girl in a text. “When you are turned on is when it will feel ok.”
The two of them would meet up weeks later — on July 20 — for their private flight out of Somerset Airport, the complaint says. They allegedly flew to Barnstable, Mass., on Cape Cod “for the purpose of engaging in illicit conduct, specifically, a sexual act.”
It was on the flight back that Mell — an active community member who did volunteer work for a number of charities, including the New Jersey Conservation Foundation — allegedly put the aircraft into autopilot.
He and the teen communicated throughout the summer of 2017 and up until that November, when the last correspondence was documented, the complaint says.
“Send me a nice naked pic cute thing,” Mell begged. His wife would eventually divorce him after the relationship was revealed, the Courier News reports.
Mell — who pleaded guilty last year to engaging in interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, as well as child pornography — is scheduled to appear in federal court Tuesday for sentencing.
New Jersey millionaire gets 7 years behind bars over sex with teen girl
By Talia Kaplan | Fox News
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A New Jersey millionaire who engaged in sexual acts with a 15-year-old girl for seven months, according to court documents, was sentenced Monday to seven years in prison.
Stephen Bradley Mell, 53, was also sentenced to five years' supervised release and ordered to pay $35,200 in restitution, a fine of $40,000 and an assessment of $5,000.
The criminal complaint said that on one occasion Mell flew the teen to Massachusetts from New Jersey on his private plane, and on the flight back “put the aircraft on autopilot mode and engaged in sex acts” with the girl.
Mell, of Far Hills, who had been president and chief executive of W.H. Mell Associates, an investment firm that specialized in municipal bond markets, pleaded guilty last month to endangering the welfare of a child, according to acting Hunterdon County Prosecutor Michael Williams. He said Mell was arrested in June 2018 after authorities discovered he had engaged in sex acts with the girl.
According to federal court records, Mell also pleaded guilty last December to receipt of child pornography and interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
Mell started contacting the 15-year-old girl in May 2017 through phone, texts and Snapchat, according to the federal criminal complaint, which stated that in June and July, “Mell performed sex acts” on the minor victim at his Far Hills residence.
In July he “purchased an emergency contraceptive pill” for the girl, according to court documents.
On multiple occasions between August and December 2017, Mell asked the 15-year-old to send him photos and videos through via text and video chats, depicting the teen engaging in “sexually explicit conduct,” the criminal complaint stated.
In August 2017, Mell used his cellphone to take a photo of the girl “standing nude and facing the camera” and in November 2017 he sent a text writing, “Send me a nice naked pic cute thing,’” according to the complaint.
Mell’s attorney, Robert Bianchi, did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
Mell is due to report to prison on July 1.
