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(Updated) A 13-year veteran of Hamilton Police charged with misconduct admitted Monday, that instead of protecting victims of sexual exploitation, he instead harassed them with inappropriate text messages, photographs and a video.

Sgt Derek Mellor was the lead investigator in a pilot project dubbed Project Rescue.  Its mandate was to stop human trafficking in the sex trade, and help exploited victims.

This afternoon the service began to prosecute one of the charges involving the alleged misconduct under the Police Services Act. Those proceedings are still on-going.

Earlier in the day, Mellor pleaded guilty to nine counts of discreditable conduct, and insubordination — all of which revolved around sexual misconduct. Two other charges were dropped.

Although he was assigned to bring down human trafficking rings, and rescue the victims that had been dragged into the sex trade, instead Mellor texted at least 20 photographs of his penis, and one short video of himself masturbating to five different women. One of those women, was a material witness who testified against a pimp that assaulted her daughter — a case that Mellor investigated.

Mellor later had sex with the same woman, in his car. The others were either former sex trade workers; or employees of two different Victims Aid organizations that Mellor dealt with during his investigations.

This hearing is scheduled to last at least one more day. It’s not known what penalties or discipline Mellor will receive until those proceedings have concluded. But given the nature of the offences, Mellor could face demotion, a loss of rank and salary, or perhaps even termination from the force.