AN IRVINE sex offender convicted of making inappropriate sexual comments to a vulnerable young girl has been given community service.

George McLelland, 49, was found guilty of the sexual offence towards the young victim at trial last month – while cleared of an allegation of indecently touching her.

The complaint against McLelland states he repeatedly made comments of a sexual nature to her at an address in Stevenston in November 29, 2019.

McLelland, of Lomond Place, was found to have made the indecent sexual verbal communications to the child – who was aged 15 years old at the time – for sexual gratification, humiliating or distressing the victim.

However the accused – who was represented in court by defence solicitor Alex Muir when he appeared on Friday, March 12 – was acquitted of a second allegation of unzipping the girl’s top and claims that he touched her leg.

When he returned to court for sentencing later last week [Friday, April 23] he was given a community payback order for a year including 150 hours of unpaid work.

He will also have to sign the sexual offenders register for a year.