BEN MCLEARY FROM GLENROTHES SHOCKS DUNDEE AND FIFE WITH SEX OFFENSES

A man from Glenrothes, identified as Ben McLeary, is now facing a significant prison sentence after being convicted of serious sexual offenses that span several years and locations. The conviction was handed down at the High Court in Livingston on Wednesday, where McLeary’s name was immediately added to the sex offender’s register, marking a severe consequence of his actions.

McLeary was found guilty of repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting a teenage girl, who is now 21 years old. The incidents took place at his mother’s residence in Glenrothes, with the assaults occurring multiple times between February and June of 2015. The court heard that the young woman, who was between 15 and 16 years old at the time, was subjected to these heinous acts during that period. The jury also convicted McLeary of sexually assaulting a former female friend, also now 21, at student flats in Dundee in March 2018.

In a separate verdict, McLeary was acquitted of a charge alleging that he engaged in sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl in April or May 2015. The jury found this particular charge not proven, meaning there was insufficient evidence to convict him on that count. During the proceedings, McLeary, aged 21, was seen dabbing away tears with a tissue as the jury’s majority verdicts were announced. The court also noted that earlier allegations involving the taking or attempting to take pornographic videos and photographs of three young women beneath their clothing were withdrawn by the prosecution due to a lack of evidence.

One of McLeary’s victims provided a detailed account to the jury, describing how he pinned her to his bed and raped her when she was between 15 and 16 years old. She explained that she did not report the incident to the police at the time because it was her first sexual experience, and she was unsure of what was normal or acceptable. She recounted her experience, saying, “I would say no. I’d try to nudge him away from me. I’d be lying back on his bed and he’d be probably on top of me. He would work his way up and sort of pin my arms down to the bed either by my side or up to my shoulder with his knees. I just continued to say no, that I didn’t want to. He would say things like ‘you’ll like it,’ ‘you usually enjoy it,’ ‘it’s fun,’ then he would just continue.”

McLeary also faced charges related to a second victim, a woman who was a close friend at the time. She testified that in March 2018, during a university reunion in Dundee, they spent the night in a student residence. She invited McLeary to lie with her on the duvet she was sleeping on, and it was during this encounter that he began to touch her sexually without her consent. She stated that he did not ask for permission, and she did not give it. She described feeling “frozen” during the assault and expressed feelings of embarrassment and disgust afterward. Her student friend, who was present, recounted how she was crying and distressed when she later described what had happened to her.

On the journey back to Glenrothes, the second victim said she felt angry at McLeary, especially after he denied the sexual assault. The jury deliberated for just over seven hours before reaching their verdicts, ultimately convicting McLeary of the charges related to both victims and confirming the serious nature of his crimes.