A maintenance man at a north-east care home sexually assaulted and harassed nurses, telling one woman he had been “dreaming about her” as he bombarded her with sick messages.
One nurse was forced to slap Robert McAlley in the face to get the 56-year-old away from her after becoming a victim of his unwanted advances while she was showering a resident.
The Newburgh man has now been put on the sex offenders register and is facing a prison sentence after pleading guilty to a string of sexual assault and harassment charges at the Aberdeen care home.
The maintenance man admitted six counts of sexually assaulting, messaging and sending sexual images to four female nurses over a 15-month period when he appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday.
McAlley, of Main Street in Newburgh, worked at the care home from 2015 to 2018.
The court heard that his victims were between 20 and 60 years of age, and that McAlley sent them sexually explicit messages along with obscene images of himself on social media.
He also touched nurses in a “sexually aggressive manner” while they were at work.
Fiscal Anna Chisholm described how one of the women became acquainted with McAlley when he offered her a lift home from work in November 2016.
She said: “During the course of that journey the accused intimated that he had a sexual interest in her. She told him she was not interested in pursuing a relationship with him.
“Two or three days later, she started to receive messages from the accused that were initially normal and friendly but got increasingly sexual in nature, stating things like ‘I want to be with you’ and that he was dreaming about her.”
In January 2017, McAlley approached another female nurse from behind while she was showering a care home resident and hugged her above her waist.
Horrified, the woman slapped him across the face.
Ms Chisholm said: “She later told him to stop and explained that it had humiliated her.
“In response, the accused stated that he was complimenting her by hugging her and that she should be ‘proud of herself’.”
McAlley also sent a series of “distressing” sexual messages and images to other nurses, including a new member of staff, and admitted striking one woman on the buttocks.
One of the victims who received the images that McAlley sent of himself said she was “extremely shocked and upset” by the messages.
He also sent a number of sexually explicit Facebook messages to a senior nurse at the care home, telling her he wanted to have sex with her.
Ms Chisholm said: “She didn’t reply to them. She was shocked and disgusted by the messages and confronted him a work a few days later and told him his conduct was inappropriate.
“She also learned at that time about his conduct towards other staff members.”
An internal investigation was launched and McAlley was suspended and reported to the police.
His solicitor Charles Benzies confirmed that he was now no longer employed at the care home.
McAlley claimed he had an issue with alcohol that he has “drastically reduced” after seeking help.
Sheriff Graeme Napier said: “The maximum sentence that can be imposed on each of these charges is 12 months imprisonment or a £10,000 fine, or both.”
He deferred sentence while reports are prepared.
