James Rennie, a convicted child sex offender who previously led a Scottish LGBT youth charity, has been released from prison after serving 16 years for his involvement in a major child abuse ring.
The 54-year-old was photographed in Edinburgh with fellow convict Neil Strachan, following their time at HMP Castle Huntly under a community reintegration program. Their 2009 convictions involved a network of at least eight individuals who possessed over 125,000 images of child sexual abuse, with Rennie found guilty of molesting his godson from infancy and using an online alias to discuss further crimes with international contacts.
Prior to his arrest, Rennie served as CEO of LGBT Youth Scotland, where he advocated for same-sex adoption rights and had access to young people aged 13 and up. The organization received recognition and funding, but regulators did not investigate potential misuse of his position for grooming or abuse, stating there was no evidence of harm to participants. Strachan’s crimes included attempting to assault an infant while HIV-positive, and both men’s sentences were reduced on appeal.