Friday, 30 October 2009

Paedophile network ring leaders jailed

James Rennie and Neil Strachan
Two men named the 'ringleaders' of Scotland's largest known paedophile network have been jailed for life today.

Neil Strachan, 41, and James Rennie, 38, as well as six others, were convicted over a catalogue of child pornography and abuse.

During the six-week trial the court heard how Strachan and Rennie had been the ringleaders of the paedophile network. They were found guilty of raping and abusing the young children of close friends while babysitting, and sharing the images of the abuse they inflicted.

Nearly 125,000 indecent images were seized during Operation Algebra; a unique police investigation which used new methods to uncover the group.

Detectives from Lothian and Borders police discovered the paedophile ring after Strachan, a maintenance engineer for a paint firm and formerly secretary of Celtic Boys Club in Edinburgh, handed his computer in for repair.

Detective Superintendent Allan Jones said: 'Today represents the conclusion of the trial of the most prolific child abuse network ever identified in Scotland.

'These sentences send a strong message that any kind of child abuse and exploitation will not be tolerated, and the fight continues to identify such offenders.

'No jail sentence, however lengthy, will ever begin to compensate Strachan and Rennie's victims and, first and foremost, our thoughts are with them.

'Any reasonable human being would be repulsed by these men's vile acts, the images they shared, and the discussions they participated in online.'

Strachan, who is HIV positive, has already served a three-year prison sentence in 1997 for abusing a boy. Rennie was the chief executive of LGBT Youth Scotland, which offered advice to young gay and lesbian people.

Co-accused Colin Slaven, 23, from Edinburgh; Neil Campbell, 46, John Milligan, 40, and John Murphy, 44, all from Glasgow; Ross Webber, 27, from North Berwick in East Lothian; and Craig Boath, 24, from Dundee, were also convicted of various offences during the trial.

ACC Iain Livingstone, who holds the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland portfolio for child protection said: 'Operation Algebra shows there is no stereotypical child abuser - they come from all walks of life, all professions, can be married and with children of their own. Often they have had no previous contact with the authorities.

'But what we are making clear through Operation Alba is that there is no hiding place, every contact via the internet leaves a trail which we will follow. Then, not only will we stop you, but you will face a lengthy prison sentence like Rennie and Strachan.'ADNFCR-708-ID-19433715-ADNFCR

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