Nursery manager goes on trial accused of child rape and sexual abuse

A nursery manager has gone on trial at the High Court in Glasgow accused of raping a toddler and sexually abusing two other children at a Lochaber nursery.

Mark Maclennan, aged 30 from Bath, denies raping the boy between August 1, 2012 and May 23, 2013, when the child was aged between two and three.

He further denies sexually abusing a girl at the nursery between August 1, 2012, and May 23, 2013, by touching her over her clothing. The girl was aged between four and five years of age at the time of the alleged offence.

He is also alleged to have sexually abused a three-year-old boy in the nursery between March 2 and May 23, 2013.

He is also charged with sexually assaulting a girl from the age of 12 to 15 at various addresses in Stirling, Dunblane and Dunfermline.

On the first day of evidence the court heard how the mother of a three-year-old boy made an ‘alarming’ comment of a sexual nature about nursery manager Mark Maclennan.

Advocate depute Kath Harper asked: “Was it about any person in particular,” and the mother replied: “Mark Maclennan.”

She was then asked to describe the nature of the remark was and said: “A sexual nature. I was making dinner and he just came out with it while he was watching television. I went over towards him and asked him to tell me again.”

The woman said that she and her husband contacted social services, who then contacted the police. As a result, an investigation was launched and Maclennan was suspended from his job as nursery manager.

Two other mothers, whose children attended the nursery, told of receiving letters telling them an inquiry was under way – although they did not know any details or who had been suspended.

Both mothers told of speaking to their children after getting the letter.

The mother of a five-year-old girl said her daughter told her something that concerned her and led her to phone the police.

The other mother said her three-year-old son told her that Mr Mclellan was touching him.

Earlier in the trial a 19 year-old university student claimed that Maclennan sexually abused her when she attended a drama club in Stirling.

The woman told the jury that she was groped and sexually abused when she was aged 12 to 15.

The court heard the Maclennan  was a volunteer and acted as a chaperone for children taking part in theatre productions.

She alleged the abuse began when Mr Maclennan was fitting her for a costume for a pantomime and continued for three years.

She claimed that on a number of occasions, while her parents were not there, he sexually abused her at her home in Dunblane.

The last occasion that Maclennan allegedly abused her was during rehearsals for a theatre production in Dunfermline.

The court heard that the woman did not report any of the alleged incidents to the police until 2013, although she said she told her mother when she was 16.

Maclennan is also accused of possessing indecent photographs of children at the nursery and at an address in Stirling.

Maclennan denies all the charges against him.

The trial continues.