Kyle McLean

A paedophile from Perth narrowly avoided a custodial sentence after admitting to repeated sexual offences against a 15-year-old schoolgirl. Kyle McLean, aged 20, was sentenced at Perth Sheriff Court for engaging in sexual activity with the underage victim on various occasions over a two-week period in August 2021.

The offences occurred at McLean's home in Mill Street, Alyth. The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, first met McLean at the end of July 2021. Their communication began as flirty and light-hearted messaging, with McLean fully aware of her age. On 16 August 2021, she lied to her mother about staying at a friend's house and instead went to McLean's residence. There, she consumed half a bottle of vodka and alcopops, becoming intoxicated and tired. They proceeded to have sex in bed, and despite her exhaustion, McLean continued, later moving to the kitchen for further unprotected intercourse. The following morning, while hungover, she drank more alcohol at his insistence before engaging in additional sexual activity. She returned on subsequent dates for more encounters.

A concerned friend alerted school staff, who informed the girl's mother, prompting police involvement. Examination of her phone revealed nearly 800 messages and 36 calls between them, including photographs sent by the girl and explicit responses from McLean. Some messages indicated she was in pain after the acts. McLean had previously been sentenced in June 2021 to 100 hours of unpaid work for a separate sexual offence involving a child. Police traced him on 15 September 2021 at Westbank, Perth's community service hub.

During sentencing, Sheriff Gillian Wade remarked, "This is a serious offence and you are now at the custody threshold. If you were older at the time of these offences, the court would likely have imposed a custodial sentence." Considering his youth, she opted for alternatives to custody, stating, "In the circumstances, I am obliged to look at alternatives to custody and I am satisfied I can deal with this by way of a high level, high tariff, community payback order." McLean was placed on supervision for three years, required to complete the Moving Forward: Making Changes sex offenders rehabilitation programme, and ordered to perform 188 hours of unpaid work. He was also added to the Sex Offenders Register for three years.

The hearing ended with an outburst from the public gallery, where a man shouted, "He’ll do it again." Fiscal depute Joanne Ritchie detailed the case, highlighting the exploitative nature of the interactions. This sentencing reflects the court's consideration of McLean's age and prior community penalty, as reported by The Courier.