A convicted child sex offender who tattooed under-age girls before sexually assaulting them has been told he faces a lengthy sentence with lifelong supervision.
Sheriff George Way remitted Paul McLellan to the High Court for sentence after a psychologist’s report recommended he be kept under supervision for life after he is released from prison.
The sheriff said he had insufficient powers to deal with the case and added that the 43-year-old, who is a prisoner at Barlinnie, could be given at least five years in prison by the High Court.
Advocate Jonathan Crowe, for McLellan, invited the sheriff to deal with the sentencing on Friday, but Sheriff Way said: “I am of the view that, whichever of the Lords handles the case, five years would not be inappropriate.
“The report recommends a lifelong licence and that is outwith my powers.
“There are elements of risk and I do not have sufficient powers over how you might be looked after in the community thereafter.
“Therefore I will remit the case to the High Court for sentencing.”
McLellan had previously been found guilty by a jury after trial of luring girls through his illegal tattooing operation then sexually assaulting them.
Following the jury’s decision in November, the sheriff told McLellan that it was “perfectly clear” that he was “grooming some of these girls with a view to further sexual activity”.
McLellan was convicted of a total of 22 charges 12 of illegally giving tattoos to girls under the age of 18 and 10 sexual offences.
One of McLellan’s victims met him on Facebook after posting a message asking if “anyone did tattoos”.
She went round to his house, where McLellan groped her as he wrapped the girl’s freshly inked tattoo in cling film to protect it from infection.
Other girls were subjected to degrading ordeals in which McLellan grabbed them and made them touch his genitals, exposed himself, tried to pull down their trousers and touched their private parts.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told that McLellan had previously been jailed for three years in 2003 in England for two sexual assaults on young girls.
He was then in 2006 given a four-year jail term for sexual offences against girls under the age of 16 in Scotland.
The court heard that McLellan had only been released from another jail term just two months before he started his campaign of tattooing and sex attacks.
He was also on licence from his 2006 sentence at the time of the offences and, as part of his release conditions, McLellan was banned from approaching or contacting children under the age of 17 in any way, shape or form.
Sheriff Way said he faces a potential Order for Lifelong Restriction meaning when he is eventually released from jail he will be monitored by authorities until he dies.