Nursery manager jailed for eight years for rape and sexual abuse

A former nursery manager has been sentenced to eight years in jail for the rape of a three-year-old boy in Lochaber and sexually abused a teenage girl in Stirlingshire.

Mark Maclennan was was also found guilty of possessing child abuse images and sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow after a jury trial found him guilty of the three charges.

Sentencing Maclennan, Judge John Morris said: “These crimes constitute a gross breach of trust, both of these young people were entitled to feel safe in your charge.

“Your activities have had a profound effect on the lives of the first complainer. Your second victim is still a very young child but his parents have expressed their concern about his subsequent behaviour.

“Your crimes of a particularly vile nature. Only a substantial prison sentence is appropriate.”

The judge also placed Maclennan on the sex offenders register ordered him to spend a further two years under close supervision after his jail term.