SIMON CRAIG FROM LANARKSHIRE BANNED AFTER SEXUAL IMAGE SCANDAL INVOLVING TEEN GIRLS IN EDINBURGH

A highly regarded film director associated with BBC Scotland has been prohibited from using social media platforms following his conviction for sending explicit sexual images of himself to three underage girls. Simon Craig, who previously worked as a writer and director for BBC's The Social under the pseudonym Simon Fox, engaged in these inappropriate behaviors while he was active as a DJ at youth-oriented club nights in Edinburgh.

According to court records, Craig, aged 41 and originally from Airdrie in Lanarkshire, targeted his victims when they were just 14 and 15 years old. He added the girls on various social media sites and subsequently sent them explicit photographs of himself, along with pornographic videos. One of the victims, now in her 30s, recounted her experience, stating, "He thought he was untouchable. I doubt there are only these victims; I am sure there are more."

Craig was found guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court of engaging in lewd, explicit, and libidinous conduct towards three victims over a period spanning from February 2005 to July 2007. Despite his criminal conviction, he continued to be associated with the BBC as a commissioned contributor until just last week. His profile on the BBC Scotland website, which listed his work, was only removed after inquiries about his criminal past.

In June, Craig was sentenced to a community payback order, placed under supervision for 18 months, and was explicitly banned from all social media platforms. His downfall came after one of the victims discovered his photography website, which contained disturbing images of young girls in compromising and scantily clad positions. Concerned about the nature of these images, she reported his crimes.

The victim expressed her frustration, saying, "The sentence he has been handed is not nearly enough after what he has done. I met him through Studio 24 when he was in his mid-twenties and I was only 14. He then added me on the Vampire Freaks website, and it wasn’t long before he started sending me images. It was really disturbing and unsettling. I was a child. I didn’t ask for any of it."

Craig’s career included recognition as an award-winning actor, writer, and director. He later worked as a freelance photographer, often collaborating on photo sessions with young girls. It was during this period that the victim came across his website, which was filled with photographs depicting young girls in suggestive poses and scant clothing. She described the images as uncomfortably provocative, emphasizing that Craig, despite his reputation in film circles, was in reality a predator.

BBC’s platform, The Social, based in Glasgow, is dedicated to nurturing new creative talent. On the BBC Scotland website, Craig was listed under the name Simon Fox, with a biography stating he began writing at age 17 before moving into filmmaking. His work included web content, short films, and an internet series titled Met-alhedz, which was nominated for Best International Comedy at the 2016 Miami Web Fest.

According to the BBC, Craig continued to write and direct for film and television, and pursued photography as a side interest. His criminal activities involved sending explicit images of himself to one victim, then 14 years old, between February 2005 and 2006. He was also convicted of repeatedly sending sexual images and messages to another victim, then aged 15, from July 2006 to July 2007. Additionally, he was found guilty of sending a pornographic video and sexualized messages to a third 15-year-old girl. These offenses took place at his residence in Musselburgh.

In response, a BBC Scotland spokeswoman clarified, "This individual was a former freelance contributor to The Social, and we have not worked with him since October 2022. He was contracted under the name Simon Fox, not Craig, and has never been employed as BBC staff."