Minister in child porn inquiry is found dead

A MINISTER at the centre of a paedophile computer porn probe in Edinburgh has been found dead in his Portobello home.

The Rev Jim Bain, 40, who was waiting to stand trial in connection with the possession of indecent images of children, was found dead in his bed by police on Sunday night.

The minister’s death is not thought to be suspicious and it is understood police have ruled out suicide.

Bain was suspended from his post at Corstorphine Old Parish Church in June pending the outcome of the police inquiry.

He appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court and his manse was searched by detectives as part of a series of co-ordinated raids by police forces across the country.

Bain was being "looked after" by the church and was no longer living in Manse Road, Corstorphine.

The minister was ordained in 1996 and moved to Corstorphine from St Paul’s Church in Forth, Lanarkshire.

A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police said: "Officers were called to an address in the Portobello area of the city on Sunday night where they discovered a 40-year-old man’s body.

"There are no suspicious circumstances and a report will be sent to the procurator fiscal."

Bain was one of more than 100 people arrested nationwide as part of Operation Falcon after names were supplied to British detectives by the FBI following an investigation in the US.

The swoops followed a lengthy inquiry carried out in the US. Investigations began after police found a child porn website was operating out of the former Soviet republic of Belarus.

It was connected to a company based in Jacksonville, Florida, which processed the credit card details of those accessing the website.

Police tracked down users from their credit card details.

A spokesman for the Church of Scotland’s department of ministry declined to comment today.