Posted on 01/20/2008 9:44:14 PM PST by Coleus
A LEADING campaigner for gay rights is in jail awaiting trial on a child porn charge. Jamie Rennie, 37, who has worked with Big Brother star John Loughton, has been charged over indecent images of a child. He is also charged with sending an offensive message.
Rennie, the chief executive of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Youth Scotland, appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month. He went to the High Court last week to challenge the decision to remand him in custody but was sent back to jail. Rennie is accused of "taking, or permitting to be taken, or making an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child". He is further charged with "sending a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character".
He could face jail if convicted. A spokesman for the Crown Office said Rennie first appeared in court on December 17 and was committed for trial on December 24. Rennie, of Edinburgh, heads the national organisation for Scotland's young lesbian, gay and bisexual people. He has sat alongside John on committees and forums on youth issues. John is now starring on E4's Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack.
Rennie studied physics at Heriot-Watt University, where he was president of the students' association, then trained as a teacher. He has been involved with a number of youth and gay rights groups. As a younger man, Rennie directed a play which was shown to Edinburgh teenagers as part of a campaign to stop anti-gay bullying. And as manager of the Stonewall Youth Project, he supported gay, lesbian and bisexual schoolkids who faced bullying and abuse from classmates.
He said at the time: "Hundreds of young people contact us every year because of bullying. It ranges from an atmosphere where names are called right up to people getting a severe kicking." In another interview, he said: "We have had situations where young people had to get taxis from home to school and back again because they do not feel safe. "They were getting beaten up by their classmates, suffering constant ribbing and being held apart from the rest of their peer group."
Rennie has worked to keep young gay people away from drink and drugs, and backed moves to build bridges between the gay community and police. He has also given evidence to the Scottish Parliament's equal opportunities committee. Lothian and Borders Police confirmed yesterday: "A 37-year-old has appeared in private at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in connection with a number of offences."
John, 20, is known as the BFG - Big Friendly Ginger. He is chairman of the Scottish Youth Parliament, and one of the early favourites to win the latest Big Brother contest. One of John's aims is to show that politics can be fun, and a number of MSPs are backing him.
Schools minister Maureen Watt said: "I hope John's commitment and enthusiasm will demonstrate to the audience how important it is for young people to participate in politics."
Man, that is a mouthful (Pun intended) :-(
GOMER: Surprise! Surprise!
He should seek asylum in Philadelphia. They love people like this guy in Philadelphia - - the city might even demand that the local Boy Scouts hire him as a Scout leader so he can take little boys off into the woods.
Does this incident surprise anyone?
That’s what I thought.
Wow! The article read like a RAH!-RAH! for the pedeophile. I’m surprise they didn’t put him up for sainthood.
Well...what harm does a little child porn do anyway? (heavy sarc.)
Dirty little secret of those who practice any type of perversion, they are very likely to practice any and all other types of perversions.
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