Alan Eccles appeared as a legal “expert” on TV about trusts while facing charges for child abuse.

Disgraced lawyer talks about trusts on TV days after guilty plea for child abuse

In a shocking twist that has shaken trust in the profession, Alan Eccles, a 44-year-old Scottish lawyer, appeared on television as a legal “expert” despite having already been charged with child sex offences.

Eccles pleaded guilty to engaging in disturbing online conversations about child sexual abuse and sharing indecent images of children. He received a sentence of 300 hours of community service, was placed under a community payback order, and will wear an electronic tag for eight months. He is also registered as a sex offender for the next three years. Despite the seriousness of his offences, he avoided prison.

Yet, only weeks after his confession, Eccles appeared on a TV programme discussing the closure of a Scottish law firm and offered his insight as an authority on setting up trusts. Many viewers were unaware of his conviction at the time.

And the controversy did not end there. Days after entering his guilty plea, Eccles attended a community meeting in Glasgow with former clients of the collapsed McClure solicitors firm and several Members of Parliament. No one at the meeting disclosed his criminal convictions, and attendees only discovered them the next day when someone conducted a quick online search.

Former clients and campaigners, such as Mike Pilbeam, were horrified. Pilbeam recounted how initial sympathy for Eccles evaporated instantly once people learned of his crimes.

Eccles had handled more than 100 cases linked to the fallout from McClure’s collapse, helping individuals with family trusts and inheritance. At the TV appearance, he spoke extensively about supporting those affected by extortionate legal fees and hidden trusts. It was during this appearance that he was introduced as a specialist in trust arrangements, entirely overlooking his recent guilty plea.

Furthermore, Eccles had previously worked with children’s charities and the Scottish Youth Parliament during a period when the organisation faced criticism for mishandled sexual harassment complaints. While the Youth Parliament later stated that Eccles played no role in those investigations, his affiliation with youth-related work has intensified public outrage.

Professional bodies have been quick to respond. Eccles’s profiles have been removed from both the Law Society of Scotland and LinkedIn, signalling that disciplinary action is under consideration, potentially leading to his removal from the register of practising solicitors.

Critics, legal professionals, and victims’ groups have seized on this case as emblematic of a profession that sometimes shields its own. A member of the campaign group affected by McClure’s described Eccles’s continued visibility as “indicative of a legal elite that thinks it is untouchable.”

As the legal fallout continues, this case has reinforced the urgent need for reform in oversight and public-facing conduct. Eccles now awaits sentencing, scheduled for next month, and the fallout from his appearance in the public eye continues to roil the legal community and the trust of those he was meant to serve.