MacAskill under fire over report

Rennie (left) will serve at least 13 years and Strachan at least 16 years

The justice secretary has come under fire after admitting he had not read a report into Scotland's largest known paedophile network.

Kenny MacAskill insisted he could not "micro-manage" or tell police how to run operations.

Opposition parties said the admission was "breathtaking" and called for a statement to MSPs about how registered sex offenders were monitored.

A Scottish government spokesman said the report had not yet been finalised.

Mr MacAskill promised that "lessons will be learned" after two men from Edinburgh who were at the centre of the network were jailed for life.

Neil Strachan, 41, attempted to rape an 18-month-old boy and James Rennie, 38, sexually assaulted a three-month-old.

Strachan, who filmed abuse and distributed the images on the web, was already on the sex offenders register.

Mr MacAskill told BBC Scotland that police, Edinburgh City Council and the NHS had produced a report in the wake of the case.

He said he had not read the report, adding: "It's for the individual operating authorities to look at matters.

Mr MacAskill said restrictions on sex offenders would be tightened

"They have to consider where they look and learn, and if they want legislative changes they come to me."

Mr MacAskill insisted he could not "micro-manage" or tell police how to run operations.

But Labour's community safety spokesman, James Kelly, said: "I find it astounding that Kenny MacAskill has not yet bothered himself to read this key report.

"Any competent minister would be asking questions, showing leadership and ensuring the tough action required is taken."

Conservative leader Annabel Goldie said: "For Mr MacAskill to apparently think it's not of relevance or importance to his job as minister for justice to know exactly what's going on I think is breathtaking."

A government spokesman later said: "Neither Scottish government officials nor the justice secretary have seen the final version of this joint report from Lothian and Borders Police, the City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian, as the police are still in the process of finalising it.

People don't understand how a man on the sex offenders register can have been involved in a paedophile ring Tavish Scott Lib Dem leader

"Once that process is complete and we are in possession of the final report we will be able to consider its contents and take on board any lessons that need to be learned."

On BBC Radio Scotland, Mr MacAskill was asked why no agency had realised the risk that Strachan posed to a family who had entrusted him with their children.

He replied: "The great difficulty with this case was not stranger danger, this was somebody who inveigled themselves into a family, it was somebody they trusted implicitly.

"Sometimes people do horrendous matters, they create a breach of trust which nobody - no parent or police officer - can stop.

"No-one knew that he was grooming this child."

Tavish Scott, Scottish Lib Dem leader, called for a statement to be made about how sex offenders are actually monitored.

'GPS tracking'

"People don't understand how a man on the sex offenders register can have been involved in a paedophile ring and for that not to have been detected," he said.

Ms Goldie said "a name on the register is not enough".

"You have to have additional surveillance once the person is released back into the community, like GPS tracking or lie detection," she said.

Mr MacAskill said the Scottish government was prepared to consider anything which could "make our communities safer from serious sex offenders", including monitoring their use of the internet.

Changes are currently being brought in through the Criminal Justice and Licensing Bill which will tighten restrictions on sex offenders, he added.

Six other men have already been sentenced for their involvement in the network, but police said the operation had led to more than 200 suspected paedophiles, 70 of them in the UK, being identified.