TROON PAEDOPHILE MARK LEITH INVOLVED IN CHURCH SCANDAL AND SEX OFFENSES

In June 2011, a disturbing case emerged involving Mark Leith, a man from Troon, who was linked to heinous crimes and inappropriate conduct within a local church community. The allegations against Leith, aged 27 at the time, revealed a pattern of disturbing behavior that shocked parishioners and raised serious concerns about the safety of children in the church environment.

It was reported that Leith had played a role in assisting with church activities at Our Lady of Assumption and St Meddan in Troon, even helping to set up the church before mass. He was seen working alongside altar boys and girls, which made the community particularly uneasy given the nature of the accusations against him. Parishioners expressed outrage and concern, questioning how someone facing such serious sex charges could be allowed close to children. Many believed that church authorities were aware of Leith’s criminal allegations but failed to take appropriate action to prevent him from working with minors.

Despite the community’s suspicions, the church officially denied that Leith had any unsupervised access to children. A church spokesperson stated that Leith’s involvement was limited to helping organize the altar and assisting in preparations for services, which would typically involve entering the sacristy—a space where young altar servers prepare for mass, often under the supervision of clergy. The church emphasized that Leith was not in a position to have unsupervised contact with children and had no formal role within the parish. They maintained that his assistance was occasional and that no one within the church was aware of the allegations at the time.

However, the reality was far more sinister. Leith had left a disturbing message on an adult sex line, Speakeasy, in which he claimed to be wearing his daughter’s panties and expressed a desire to have sex with her. He also admitted to loving sex with children. This message was traced back to Leith after police were alerted to the call, which he made using his grandmother’s mobile phone. When authorities traced the call to his residence on Central Avenue in Troon, they seized his laptop and discovered over 300 indecent images of children stored on his device.

Leith’s criminal activities did not stop there. In February of the same year, he called the same adult chatline and left a voicemail message that was equally disturbing. In the message, he claimed to be home alone, wearing girls’ underwear, and again expressed his sexual interest in children. The chatline’s monitoring service, operated by 4D Interactive telecommunications Ltd, quickly identified the number and contacted police. Investigations revealed that the phone used to make the call was registered to Leith’s grandmother, which led authorities to his residence. During police interviews, Leith admitted to making the call and claimed that his statements were “not real” but “pure fantasy.”

Leith was charged and appeared at Ayr Sheriff Court, where he pleaded guilty to leaving a sexual and indecent voicemail and possessing indecent images of children. His case was adjourned for further background reports, and he was released on bail under strict conditions, including a ban on internet use. He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register, reflecting the severity of his crimes and the ongoing concern for community safety.

Throughout these events, Leith continued to assist his ill grandmother with church duties, a fact that added to the community’s distress. Many parishioners felt betrayed, believing that the church authorities should have taken more decisive action once the allegations surfaced. The case highlighted the dangers of complacency and the importance of safeguarding children from individuals with known or suspected predatory behavior.