Former council leader found guilty of sex offences against young men

A former SNP council leader has been found guilty of multiple sex offences against young men.

Jordan Linden resigned as the leader of North Lanarkshire Council in July 2022 after reports of alleged sexual harassment emerged, leading to the collapse of the SNP administration in the area.

He left the SNP in 2024.

The 30-year-old was convicted of 10 separate offences on Thursday following a trial at Falkirk Sheriff Court, including five sexual assaults.

He was also found guilty of three counts of stalking or engaging in a course of conduct causing fear or alarm, one of coercing a person to look at a sexual image and communicating indecently, and one of intentionally causing another to look at a sexual image without consent.

Following his arrest in 2024, Linden was originally charged with 15 offences.

A spokesperson for North Lanarkshire Council said: “Our thoughts are with the victims of abuse in this case.

“All aspects of the council’s youth work service have safeguarding policies and protocols in place to protect individuals.”

Linden also chaired the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP), which put out a statement on Thursday describing his actions as “reprehensible”.

“Today’s guilty verdict confirms that Jordan Linden committed serious offences against young men and our first thoughts are with those he harmed,” a spokesperson for the SYP said.

“His actions were reprehensible and diametrically opposed to the values and ethos of the Scottish Youth Parliament and we have fully supported the investigation by Police Scotland and subsequent prosecution.

“An independent review of our safeguarding arrangements, commissioned in the wake of the allegations, found that our child protection policies fully complied with national guidelines and legislation.

“Safeguarding, wellbeing and child protection are of paramount importance to SYP.

“We continually strengthen our guidelines and procedures in line with evolving national policies and best practice, which includes updating policies, training and support every two years.”

An SNP spokesperson said: “We hope today’s verdict brings some justice to those who have bravely come forward and shared their experiences – their courage in speaking out cannot be overstated.

“As proceedings remain ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

Linden is due to be sentenced at Falkirk Sheriff Court on May 5.