Paedophile ringleaders jailed

Thu Oct 29 2009 11:53:13

The two ringleaders of Scotland's biggest paedophile ring have been jailed for life for child pornography and abuse, including the sexual assault of a three-month-old baby.

Convicted sex offender Neil Strachan was ordered to spend a minimum of 16 years behind bars, at the High Court in Edinburgh.

James Rennie, once a prominent and respected youth worker, was told he must spend at least 13 years in jail.

Strachan, 41, was found guilty of attempting to rape an 18-month-old boy and sexually assaulting a six-year-old boy at a trial earlier this year.

Rennie, 38, the ex-boss of LGBT Youth Scotland, an organisation dedicated to helping young gay people, was convicted of molesting a young boy over more than four years.

The pair, both from Edinburgh, were also convicted of a string of child porn charges, alongside six other men who have already been sentenced.

They were further found guilty of conspiring to abuse children, as were three other members of the network, after a 10-week trial.

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