Former SNP Leader Convicted of 10 Sexual Offenses

Jordan Linden, a 30-year-old former leader of North Lanarkshire Council and Scottish National Party member, was convicted Thursday at Falkirk Sheriff Court of 10 offenses, including five sexual assaults against young men and boys. The verdicts followed a seven-day trial, with sentencing scheduled for May 5.

The offenses, spanning a decade from 2011 to 2021, involved victims aged 14 to 22, all of whom were either boys or young men seeking guidance in political or youth settings. Police detailed how Linden abused his positions of trust, first as a member and chairman of the Scottish Youth Parliament from 2015 to 2016, and later as an SNP councillor elected in 2017. Specific incidents included assaults at a house party after the 2019 Dundee Pride parade and unwanted sexual communications, such as sending explicit images. He was also found guilty of three counts of stalking or conduct causing fear or alarm, one count of coercing someone to view a sexual image, and one count of indecent communication. Linden denied the charges, claiming any interactions were consensual or non-criminal, but the jury convicted him after deliberating less than four hours. He was acquitted of five other...