Convicted Sex Offender Back in Jail for Social Media Use

Neil McLean, a 41-year-old convicted sex offender, has been sent back to prison for violating his sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) by using social media and dating sites. He was initially convicted in 2016 for attempting to groom a 12-year-old girl and was given a three-year and four-month sentence, including a ban on using dating sites and social media.

The grandmother of the girl McLean tried to groom played a key role in his initial conviction, taking over the online conversation and gathering evidence of McLean's predatory behaviour. McLean was also caught in a vigilante sting in 2018 when he attempted to meet a decoy 14-year-old girl.

Despite these previous convictions, McLean was found to have accessed Facebook and various dating websites over a two-week period. A forensic investigation of his mobile phone confirmed his breach of the SHPO.

Prosecutor Rachel Masters stated that while there was no evidence McLean contacted children during this recent period, his use of Facebook posed a significant risk of harm to children. She highlighted the concerning nature of his previous offenses, including the discovery of child abuse images on his phone and children's and adult female underwear in his flat.

Judge Howard Crowson sentenced McLean to 16 months in custody for the persistent breaches of his SHPO. He emphasized the potential for harm to children associated with McLean's use of Facebook and the seriousness of his continued offending.