A 30-year-old former SNP council leader, Jordan Linden, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison and placed on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years after being found guilty of multiple sex offenses against teenagers and young men. Linden, who resigned as the leader of North Lanarkshire Council in July 2022 amidst allegations of sexual harassment, was convicted of 10 separate offenses in March following a trial at Falkirk Sheriff Court. The charges included five sexual assaults, sexual communication offenses, and engaging in behavior causing fear or alarm.
The crimes, which occurred between 2011 and 2021 in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, and elsewhere, involved unwanted communications sent to seven teenagers, with the youngest victim being a 14-year-old. Additionally, Linden was found guilty of sexually assaulting two victims at a post-Pride parade house party in Dundee. The court heard accounts of Linden’s inappropriate behavior, including sending explicit images and engaging in sexual acts without consent.
Despite Linden’s lawyer’s arguments for alternative sentencing, Sheriff Christopher Shead determined that jail time was the appropriate punishment due to the nature and severity of the offenses. Following Linden’s conviction, First Minister John Swinney ordered a review of the SNP’s complaint handling procedures. Detective Chief Inspector Diane Barr emphasized the abuse of trust by Linden towards young males seeking his mentorship and praised the victims for coming forward, which led to Linden facing justice.
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