BRIAN MCLAREN THORNABY PAEDOPHILE JAILED FOR REPEATEDLY VIOLATING SEXUAL OFFENCES ORDER

In a serious case of repeated breaches of a court-mandated order, Brian McLaren, a 47-year-old resident of Thornaby, has been sentenced to prison for violating a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) that was specifically designed to restrict his contact with minors. The court heard that McLaren had been found allowing two young girls, aged nine and ten, as well as a 17-year-old boy, to visit his flat despite the restrictions placed upon him.

McLaren’s criminal history includes a previous conviction from February 2009, when he was sentenced to 13 months in prison for sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl. Following that conviction, he was subjected to a stringent 10-year ban under the SOPO, which explicitly prohibited him from having any contact with children under the age of 18. Despite these legal restrictions, authorities uncovered evidence that he had continued to breach these terms.

On August 15 of the previous year, Cleveland Police received a report indicating that a 10-year-old girl had been in the company of McLaren on multiple occasions. This information prompted police to interview the girl, her sister, and their mother. During the interviews, the mother expressed her awareness of the SOPO but believed that it only prohibited unsupervised contact. She thought that her daughter’s visits might be permissible if she was present during them.

The elder sister confirmed that they had visited McLaren’s flat three or four times a week and was aware of the restrictions imposed by the SOPO. McLaren was subsequently arrested and admitted to the offences involving the young girl. He also acknowledged that he had breached his order in relation to another nine-year-old girl. The girl’s mother revealed that she had taken her daughter to McLaren’s flat approximately four times over a four-week period. Additionally, a 17-year-old youth confirmed that he had been inside McLaren’s residence on two separate occasions.

Prosecutor Sharon Elves emphasized the seriousness of the case, stating, “The Crown say that there was an obvious risk to these children and there were three identifiable potential victims. But there was no evidence that anyone had been sexually approached.”

In his defense, Robert Mochrie acknowledged McLaren’s breaches but clarified that there was no evidence of sexual grooming or any similar conduct. He stated, “He accepts that he should not have had any contact with those youngsters, and he accepts that he will be receiving a custodial sentence today. I do not seek to persuade you to act otherwise.”

Judge Tony Briggs sentenced McLaren to eight months in prison. The court also confirmed that the SOPO would remain in effect until 2019, as McLaren had pleaded guilty to eight breaches of the order, underscoring the ongoing risk he posed to the community in Thornaby.