The Scottish Youth Parliament’s former chair has been jailed for 18 months for a series of sexual assaults against five young men.
Jordan Linden, who is also the former leader of North Lanarkshire Council, was sentenced today (6 May) at Falkirk Sheriff Court after being found guilty of sexual assault, sending unwanted sexual communications and stalking.
The 30-year-old, of Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, was also convicted of directing unwanted sexual communications towards several teenagers, the youngest aged 14.
The offences took place over a 10-year period from 2011 to 2021, with some of the offending taking place during his time as chair of SYP, a post he held between 2015 and 2016.
Linden had denied all of the allegations but was found guilty of a total of 10 charges.
He was found not guilty of five other charges, which included another allegation of sexual assault, while the crown did not seek a conviction in relation to six other charges.
Linden has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and placed on the sex offenders register for a 10-year period.
According to reports from the BBC, Linden stepped down from SYP in 2016 when explicit images of himself began to circulate, although Linden denied sharing these.
A spokesperson for SYP’s board said: “SYP recognises the seriousness of this case and the concern it has caused, and we reiterate that our thoughts remain with those who were harmed by Linden’s actions.”
The spokesperson told Third Sector the charity commissioned two external investigations into how it handled allegations made against Linden in 2016, which “established there was no evidence of criminality based on the information we had at the time”.
The investigations also established that SYP had properly followed procedures and guidelines in place at the time, the spokesperson said.
The charity referred fresh allegations to Police Scotland in November 2017, which later “confirmed that no criminality had been established and its inquiry concluded”, the spokesperson said.
After further allegations emerged in 2022, the charity “fully supported Police Scotland and the Crown Office investigation which subsequently led to Linden’s conviction”, the spokesperson added.
“Throughout this period, SYP referred concerns to the appropriate authorities and cooperated fully with external investigations.”
SYP remains “committed to maintaining a safe environment for all young people and to continually improving its safeguarding practice”, the spokesperson said.
It carried out safeguarding policy and procedure reviews in 2016, 1018, 2021 and 2024, with further updates planned this year, the spokesperson said.
Last month, North Lanarkshire Council suspended all of its activity with SYP due to Linden’s conviction and commissioned a review into the council’s relationship with the charity, a decision that SYP warned could disadvantage local members.
A spokesperson for North Lanarkshire Council said: “A review of the council’s relationship with the Scottish Youth Parliament is already underway after it immediately suspended activity with the organisation last month.”
At the time, a spokesperson for SYP said the decision was “extremely regrettable” and that it had offered to meet the council to discuss a way forward, but it has not responded to Third Sector’s questions about its current relationship with the council.