Megan Neilson, 28, has been suspended from holding any care roles after she performed a sex act on a vulnerable disabled man at Falkirk Wheel in central Scotland
A care worker who performed a sex act on a vulnerable disabled man at a well-known tourist attraction has been spared jail.
Megan Neilson, 28, entered into an improper intimate relationship with the 29-year-old man, who suffers from cerebral palsy as well as epilepsy, and has a learning disability. It came to light after the couple appeared hand-in-hand at his dad’s house, and told him they were together. Neilson told the father she would resign from her role as a support worker, but he later reported her to police.
In court, it was heard how Neilson repeatedly kissed and cuddled the vulnerable man during trips to a bowling alley and at Strathclyde Park in Motherwell, Scotland, and went on to perform a sex act on him in a car at the Falkirk Wheel.
When officers arrived at her home, she asked: “Is this about the inappropriate relationship?”, reports the Daily Record.
Mum-of-two Neilson, from Airdrie, Lanarkshire, denied any wrongdoing in 2022 and went on trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court.
She was convicted of engaging in sexual activity with the man while being a person who provided care services to him.
Sheriff Linda Nicolson said Neilson was being spared jail because she had young children to care for. She ordered her to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work, tagged her for a year and put her under supervision for 18 months.
Neilson, who is now unemployed and suspended from holding any care roles, was placed on the sex offenders’ register for five years.
In court, jurors were shown a police interview where the man told how he believed he was in a relationship with Neilson and described sexual acts between them.
He said: “She said if anybody found out about us she would lose her job, her daughter and her college course. I felt awkward because this had never happened to me before.”
His dad told the court he had been ‘suspicious’ of the pair before they told him they were together, and said: “I was in shock but then realised my suspicion was confirmed that there was something going on and I had this sickly feeling because it was a major breach of trust by the support worker working with him.
“He is still not the same wee laddie.”
Neilson denied any sexual contact between the pair but said she resigned from her support role after developing an ’emotional relationship’ with him.
She added: “I’m not sure why he has said this, it was maybe because he couldn’t be with me but I can’t get my head round it.
“I feel terrible, it has affected me really really badly and it has given me a lot of anxiety but there was nothing sexual between me and him.”