LISTEN: Police Welcome Sentence Of Highland Child Rapist

A nursery manager's been jailed for eight years after raping a three-year-old boy.

Mark MacLennan also indecently assaulted a teenage girl who was involved in amateur dramatics while he was supposed to be chaperoning children.

A judge told MacLennan at the High Court in Edinburgh: "The crimes are of a particularly vile nature."

John Morris QC said in his opinion only a substantial prison sentence was appropriate to deal with his offending.

"Both of these young people were entitled to feel safe," said the judge.

He said the young woman had been profoundly affected and the parents of the little boy had expressed concerns about his subsequent behaviour.

The judge also ordered that MacLennan should be kept under supervision for a further two years and warned he could be returned to prison if he re-offended during that period. The 30-year-old was also placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

MacLennan was earlier convicted of assaulting the little boy at a Highland nursery during an oral rape committed between August 1 in 2012 and May 23 in 2013.

He was also found guilty of indecency toward the girl between October 1 in 2007 and July 31 in 2010 at Stirling and Dunfermline when she was aged between 13 and 15. He was also of possessing child pornography at an address in Stirling.

The mother of the boy who was sexually assaulted at the nursery told his earlier trial that her son had been upset in May 2013.

She said he had made "an alarming statement" while at home watching television and said it had been about MacLennan.

The woman said it was a remark of "a sexual nature". She added: "I was making dinner and he just came out with it while he was watching television."

Social services were contacted and the police were called in. A taped interview with the boy was shown to jurors at MacLennan's trial.

A police officer asked him about the incident and he said: "Don't like Mark." He was asked what he had told his mummy and daddy and replied that MacLennan had carried out a sexual act.

The female victim said she had met MacLennan when she was involved in amateur dramatics. Volunteer MacLennan molested the girl and made sexual remarks to her.

Defence counsel Dale Hughes told the judge that MacLennan appeared for sentencing "sporting quite an impressive shiner".

He said MacLennan told him that he had been assaulted while on remand.

He said the honours graduate had previously obtained a General Teaching Council certificate and added: "This is a man who wanted to be a teacher from an early age." The judge said: "Presumably that will be at an end now." Mr Hughes said: "There is no getting away from the gravity of the offences."

The defence counsel said that MacLennan put down the indecent images of children he possessed to "curiosity". He had downloaded a single file which seemed to "grow and grow".

Mr Hughes said that otherwise first offender MacLennan was "an inoffensive, likeable young man".

The judge said that he took into account in sentencing MacLennan his age and lack of previous convictions.

MacLeannan appeared at court with a black eye today following a prison attack.

MFR Reporter Derek Ferguson speaks with Detective Chief Inspector Vincent McLaughlin about the sentence...

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Alicen Winston, of the Public Protection Unit said: "This case initially came to police attention following the bravery displayed by the family of a child victim who reported Mark Maclennan; then working at a private nursery in the Highland area, to Social Work Services.

"This matter was then subsequently reported to Police Scotland.

"The resulting police investigation identified a number of other young victims and established a sickening course of conduct involving sexual abuse and the collating of indecent images involving children; which were collated prior to 2010.

"In all cases of sexual crime, Police Scotland will conduct detailed and thorough investigations and work closely with the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service and other partner agencies to bring such perpetrators to justice and offer support for victims.

"These appalling crimes were committed by an individual who breached the trust of families who sought to leave their children in a safe and secure environment.

"The community will be protected from this individual for the period of his imprisonment and in the longer term through subsequent sex offender management requirements under the auspices of local Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements."

Local Area Commander, Chief Inspector Colin Gough said: "As a result of the tremendous courage and patience shown by all of the families involved, Mark Maclennan has been brought to justice and removed from society.

"As with all child abuse investigations we work in partnership with other agencies to protect the public.

"In this particular case, this involved our partners, Highland Council, NHS Highland, Care Inspectorate and Children 1st.

"I hope that this conviction and sentence will bring some comfort to the victims and families involved in this case and give confidence to anyone who feels that they may have information of similar events to come forward in the knowledge that their case will be sensitively and thoroughly investigated in a victim-centered manner.

"Police Scotland is committed to working in partnership across the Highlands and Islands to protect and support the needs of children and to thoroughly investigate all child protection referrals to ensure perpetrators are identified and brought to justice."

The Highland Council is a partner with Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for multi-agency public protection arrangements in the region.

Bill Alexander, Director of Care and Learning at Highland Council added;

"You cannot underestimate how difficult and traumatic this must have been for parents to face such disclosures from their children and report these to the authorities.

"Their bravery enabled swift and effective action by authorities to prevent this man from continuing to harm children.

"Fortunately, experiences like this are rare, and there are safeguards in place.

"But we all need to remain vigilant, as people who abuse children may actively seek to get themselves into positions of trust.

"Everyone has a duty to protect children and anyone with such concerns should speak to Police or Social Work."

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Alicen Winston, of the Public Protection Unit said: "This case initially came to police attention following the bravery displayed by the family of a child victim who reported Mark Maclennan; then working at a private nursery in the Highland area, to Social Work Services.

"This matter was then subsequently reported to Police Scotland.

"The resulting police investigation identified a number of other young victims and established a sickening course of conduct involving sexual abuse and the collating of indecent images involving children; which were collated prior to 2010.

"In all cases of sexual crime, Police Scotland will conduct detailed and thorough investigations and work closely with the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service and other partner agencies to bring such perpetrators to justice and offer support for victims.

"These appalling crimes were committed by an individual who breached the trust of families who sought to leave their children in a safe and secure environment.

"The community will be protected from this individual for the period of his imprisonment and in the longer term through subsequent sex offender management requirements under the auspices of local Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements."

Local Area Commander, Chief Inspector Colin Gough said: "As a result of the tremendous courage and patience shown by all of the families involved, Mark Maclennan has been brought to justice and removed from society.

"As with all child abuse investigations we work in partnership with other agencies to protect the public.

"In this particular case, this involved our partners, Highland Council, NHS Highland, Care Inspectorate and Children 1st.

"I hope that this conviction and sentence will bring some comfort to the victims and families involved in this case and give confidence to anyone who feels that they may have information of similar events to come forward in the knowledge that their case will be sensitively and thoroughly investigated in a victim-centered manner.

"Police Scotland is committed to working in partnership across the Highlands and Islands to protect and support the needs of children and to thoroughly investigate all child protection referrals to ensure perpetrators are identified and brought to justice."

The Highland Council is a partner with Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for multi-agency public protection arrangements in the region.

Bill Alexander, Director of Care and Learning at Highland Council added;

"You cannot underestimate how difficult and traumatic this must have been for parents to face such disclosures from their children and report these to the authorities.

"Their bravery enabled swift and effective action by authorities to prevent this man from continuing to harm children.

"Fortunately, experiences like this are rare, and there are safeguards in place.

"But we all need to remain vigilant, as people who abuse children may actively seek to get themselves into positions of trust.

"Everyone has a duty to protect children and anyone with such concerns should speak to Police or Social Work."