George Pell reportedly moved after drone flown over jail

Disgraced Cardinal George Pell has reportedly been moved from his central Melbourne prison to a high-security facility in regional Victoria after a drone was flown over the jail.

"Corrections Victoria can confirm an incident involving a drone flying over the Melbourne Assessment Prison on Thursday," a Department of Justice spokeswoman said on Sunday.

The drone was reportedly flying near a visitors' garden at the prison, located in Melbourne's CBD.

Pell has been held at the prison for almost a year, after his 2018 conviction for sexually assaulting two teenage choirboys at Melbourne's St Patrick's Cathedral in the mid-1990s.

The high-profile prisoner, whose legal case garnered global attention, had been given a job weeding and watering a garden inside the prison.

It has been speculated that the drone may have been used to try and get pictures of Pell, which could be worth a significant sum.

He has reportedly been moved from Melbourne to the maximum security Barwon Prison near Geelong. The incident has been referred to Victoria Police.

It is illegal to fly a drone within 120 metres of a prison or youth justice facility, and doing so can result in up to two years in jail.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/george-pell-reportedly-moved-after-drone-flown-over-jail-20200112-p53qqh.html