Cop made boy play ‘find the truncheon’
Seven years for monster who was supposed to help grieving family
A PERVERT police officer sexually abused a young boy by making him play a vile game called “find the truncheon” – after being sent to comfort the victim’s family following a tragedy.
The grieving family grew so close to Alexander McLellan that they became friends and even trusted him to look after their children. But in a disgusting betrayal of trust, McLellan sexually abused a young relative.
The beast, from Paisley, denied the historical offences but was convicted of four charges of gross indecency on a child under 14 and two of indecent assault after a trial. He has now been caged for seven years.
McLellan, now 54, worked as a family liaison officer with Northumbria Police at the time of his sickening crimes, which happened before 2002 but were only reported to police in 2017.
During his trial at Newcastle Crown Court, prosecutor Paul Cleasby told jurors the family found McLellan “to be a great comfort, sympathetic and kind” and they “quickly grew to like him”.
He added: “Over time, the relationship developed from a professional relationship to a friendship in that Mr McLellan would be invited for dinner with the family and he would be invited to stay over on a night on a number of occasions. Given that Mr McLellan was a serving police officer and had now become a family friend, they trusted him.”
Cleasby said that, on occasions, McLellan would look after children at the house. But the monster took the opportunity to abuse one child.
Mr Cleasby added: “The defendant disguised the sexual activity and made it part of a game so that (the child) would think it was fun.
“When the defendant was lying on the sofa bed and he was alone with (the child), he would encourage him to play a game the defendant called ‘find the truncheon’.”
McLellan encouraged the victim to touch his genitals “for some minutes” and it happened four or five times, the victim said. As part of the “game”, McLellan molested the boy.
During a later visit, McLellan tried to get the victim to “play” again but he said he did not want to and the sexual abuse finally stopped.
The victim did not disclose what had happened to him until 2017, when he told his mum and police, who went on to interview and charge McLellan.
McLellan left the Northumbria force in 2001. Detective Superintendent Sav Patsalos, head of their professional standards department, said: “Alexander McLellan abused his privileged position and has shown complete disregard for what a police officer should stand for.”
Alexander McLellan abused his privileged position
DET SUPT PATSALOS ON EX-COP’S CRIMES