Paedophile cleared of abusing baby boy

A MAN who was part of Scotland's worst paedophile ring is hoping to have his jail time cut after appeal judges cleared him of abusing a baby boy.

Neil Strachan, 42, is serving a life sentence and has been told he must spend at least 16 years behind bars.

Strachan went to the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh to try to overturn some of his convictions, claiming there was not enough evidence against him.

Yesterday, appeal judges rejected almost all of Strachan's arguments, but they did agree that a conspiracy charge should be limited to a plot between him and James Rennie, 40.

Rennie was the babysitter who was said to have allowed Strachan to abuse a one-year-old boy in Rennie's city flat.

Lord Osborne said the changes in the charges against Strachan would have to be considered at a future date when he tries to get his minimum sentence cut.