Law Librarian Arrested On Child Sexual Assault Charges

Colorado police arrested Yahya Hussein Ahmad Melhem, who was a librarian at Harvard Law School at the time of the incident, on felony charges for attempted child sexual assault on Nov. 20 after a sting operation involving a police officer posing as an underage girl.

Melhem is no longer employed at the Law School, according to Michelle Deakin, a spokesperson for the school. Melhem posted $10,000 bail and is due back in Colorado for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 22, according to Pam Russell, the communications director for the First Judicial District Attorney in Colorado.

Melhem, who was a librarian at the Islamic Law Center at the Law School, was in Colorado for a Middle Eastern Islamic Librarian conference, according to a police affidavit. While in Colorado, he allegedly began messaging an undercover police officer who was posing as an underage girl. His overtures became increasingly sexual in nature, and he allegedly sent sexually graphic messages over text and video messaging, according to the affidavit.

Gilpin County police arrested Melhem, 47, as he was driving to meet the police officer he believed was an underage girl, according to the affidavit. Police charged Melhem with criminal attempt sexual exploitation of a child, internet sexual exploitation of a child, internet luring of a child, and criminal attempt sexual assault on a child—all of which are felony charges.

—Staff writer Andrew M. Duehren can be reached at andy.duehren@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @aduehren.