Man sent sex texts to teenage boy

A 48-YEAR- old man has been placed on the sex offenders’ register and given a two-year supervision order after sending sexual text messages to a teenage boy.

Brian John MacLennan left his mobile phone number amidst graffiti on the wall of the men’s lavatory at Oban’s Tesco store, the town’s sheriff court heard on Monday; MacLennan had previously admitted sending messages to a 15-year- old boy who was on holiday in the town at the time and the case had been adjourned until Monday for reports.

But one of the authors of the reports said they believed MacLennan was lying to them.

The court previously heard the teenager found MacLennan’s number and a message claiming that sex was available.

The boy had made first contact and messages were exchanged during a 14-hour period between August 11 and 12 last year. During that time MacLennen sent 143 messages which became increasingly explicit; a similar number were sent in reply by the teenager until his father became aware.

Sheriff Ruth Anderson QC said: ‘The complainer was not 16 and the accused knew this from the outset.’

On Monday, after reading the reports, Sheriff Anderson said: ‘The difficulty is that one of the authors of this report believes that he [ MacLennan] has given false information.’

MacLennan, who lives in a caravan at Barranrioch Farm, Glencruitten, was described by his defence agent Laura McManus as ‘a very isolated in- dividual’. She said MacLennan was seeing a psychiatrist, was on medication and was suitable for a supervision order.

Sheriff Anderson placed MacLennan on a supervision order for two years, ordering that he undertake counselling and cooperate fully with his supervision officer, mental health services and continue to seek psychiatric treatment.

‘In three months I will call for a review to see how all this is going and I cannot make it any clearer Mr MacLennan that you must co- operate fully.’