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Jordan Linden, a former leader of North Lanarkshire Council and ex-chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP), has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after being found guilty of sexually assaulting five young men. The 30-year-old, who resigned from his council leadership role in 2022 following the emergence of allegations, was convicted earlier this year after a seven-day trial. In addition to the assaults, Linden was also found guilty of sending unwanted sexual communications to seven teenagers, the youngest of whom was 14.
The criminal offenses, which spanned a decade from 2011 to 2021, included the distribution of inappropriate images such as photos of Linden in a bath and explicit pictures. Falkirk Sheriff Court, where the sentencing took place, ordered Linden to be placed on the sex offenders register. While guilty on several charges, Linden was acquitted of one sexual assault charge and five other counts involving stalking and sexual communication. Throughout the proceedings, he denied all allegations, asserting that either the incidents did not occur or were consensual.
During the trial, testimony revealed distressing details, including an incident in which Linden, reportedly intoxicated and behaving inappropriately at a Dundee Pride event, confined an 18-year-old party official in a bathroom and engaged in unwelcome physical contact. Several other witnesses described Linden’s persistent inappropriate touching during their time in the Scottish Youth Parliament, which was often dismissed by youth workers as typical behavior. One witness recounted a particularly traumatic night at Linden’s flat, where he said he awoke to find Linden performing a sexual act on him.
After the verdict, Linden showed no visible emotion during sentencing but acknowledged his father with a farewell gesture as he was taken from the courtroom. His defense lawyer highlighted Linden’s difficult teenage years, marked by bullying related to his sexuality, which led to social isolation. The lawyer suggested this contributed to Linden’s poor understanding of social boundaries, a point Linden now acknowledges, recognizing his actions were unacceptable. In response to the case, First Minister John Swinney expressed regret for those affected and initiated an independent review of the SNP’s handling of complaints related to Linden. The Scottish Youth Parliament also addressed the situation, confirming that investigations had previously found no criminality but that policies around safeguarding have since been strengthened
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