DEREK LONGMUIR OF BAY CITY ROLLERS FAME ESCAPES JAIL IN EDINBURGH CHILD PORN CASE
In a case that has shocked fans and the local community alike, Derek Longmuir, a founding member of the iconic Scottish pop group Bay City Rollers, faced serious allegations related to the possession of child abuse images.The incident unfolded at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, where Longmuir was sentenced to 300 hours of community service after pleading guilty to possessing indecent films, videos, and photographs of children.
Longmuir, who is currently 49 years old, has been suspended from his professional role as a nurse at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary following the charges.
When leaving the court, he chose not to comment on the case, maintaining a silence that left many questions unanswered.
The charges stemmed from a police investigation that uncovered disturbing material at Longmuir’s residence in Edinburgh.
The police, part of the Lothian and Borders Police serious crime squad, executed a raid in September 1998 after receiving a tip-off.
During the search, officers seized multiple computers, videos, floppy disks, and projector reels.
Longmuir himself pointed out the seized items to the officers, which included 22 videos out of a total of 153, and six projector reels that contained child pornography.
Additionally, authorities recovered approximately 1,000 images from 73 floppy disks, some of which depicted sexual acts involving children.
Initially, Longmuir claimed that the material belonged to an American friend, attempting to distance himself from the content.
However, the evidence collected during the raid painted a different picture, leading to his guilty plea earlier this month.
During the court proceedings, Longmuir’s lawyer, Robbie Burnett, emphasized that his client was “not a paedophile and was not someone who engages in child sex nor somebody terribly interested in child porn.” Burnett further stated that Longmuir “deplores and disapproves of the exploitation of children for any of these purposes,” attempting to mitigate the severity of the charges.
Sheriff Isobel Poole deferred sentencing to allow for psychiatric and social inquiry reports, as well as community service arrangements.
The court heard that Longmuir resides at Queens Park Court in Edinburgh.
Details of the investigation revealed that the police found the illicit material following a tip-off, which led to the raid on Longmuir’s Edinburgh home.
The seizure of the computers and disks uncovered a disturbing collection of images and videos, some of which involved sexual activities with children.
Longmuir’s background is well known in the music industry.
He co-founded the Bay City Rollers alongside his brother Alan, and the band achieved international fame with hits such as “Shang-a-Lang,” “Give a Little Love,” and “Bye Bye Baby.” After stepping away from the limelight in the early 1980s, Longmuir shifted his focus to a career in nursing.
He began training in the late 1980s, having previously volunteered at the Sick Children’s Hospital in Edinburgh, and qualified in 1993 to work at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
Despite his past fame, the recent allegations have cast a shadow over his reputation, raising questions about the boundaries between celebrity and personal conduct, especially in light of the serious nature of the charges and the ongoing investigation.
