THE ringleaders of a huge paedophile network are wandering the streets and staying in the same digs.
James Rennie, 54, and Neil Strachan, 57, have served 16 years for vile child sex crimes.
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We can reveal they’ve been at an Edinburgh hostel as a source slammed it as “astonishing”.
The move towards releasing two of Scotland’s most notorious paedophiles simultaneously has been branded “a risk to public safety”.
Rennie, 54, who sexually assaulted a three-month-old baby, and Strachan, 57, who tried to rape an 18-month-old boy, are already walking the streets during leave from an open prison for prolonged stays in an offenders’ hostel.
The sick duo were jailed in 2009 after they were caught heading the country’s biggest paedophile ring — involving eight members and a haul of 125,000 horrific child abuse images and videos.
Prison chiefs are allowing them to stay in the same digs in Edinburgh in what is believed to be part of a programme for their permanent release into the community.
Insiders told The Scottish Sun that Rennie and Strachan get week-long stays at the Crane Hostel in the capital’s New Town.
And our pictures show that the fiends’ visits to the facility — which lies just 0.7 miles from a primary school — even overlap.
Scottish Tory deputy spokeswoman on victims and community safety, Sharon Dowey, said: “Victims will be disgusted that these predatory criminals are freely walking about in Edinburgh.
“This decision clearly poses a risk to public safety and sums up the contempt the SNP’s justice system has for brave victims.
“All too often their needs are shamefully sidelined in favour of criminals’ needs.”
Sources say the paedophile partnership freely fraternise at low security Castle Huntly nick, near Dundee.
One said: “It’s disgusting. There are loads of them in Castle Huntly and they all go about with each other growing their network.
“They are even locked up in the same hall in the prison, so when the doors are closed at 7.30pm at night they sit in each others cells.”
The source added: “These two shouldn’t be allowed out for what they did, never mind for seven days at a time.”
We watched as Strachan, a former secretary of Celtic Boys Club in Edinburgh, arrived at Crane Hostel a week past Thursday.
And he was still there a week later, when we saw him emerge at 10am to take a stroll around Edinburgh city centre.
Wearing a baseball cap and carrying a rucksack, he enjoyed soaring temperatures as he walked towards the city’s Princes Street among unwitting passers-by.
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He returned to the hostel a short time later.
Then, just after 11am his accomplice Rennie — who was thought to be just starting a week away from prison — arrived at the hostel on foot carrying a rucksack.
He looked sheepishly over his shoulder as he waited to be let into the building.
Then, within half- an-hour we pictured Strachan emerging from the same door.
It’s understood he was leaving to go back to prison after spending his week away.
Rennie also appeared to have gone out for a walk to enjoy the sunshine.
Pictures show him returning to the hostel at around 5pm.
It is thought the pair are subject to a strict curfew between 9pm and 8am when they are there.
Scottish Labour justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill said: “These worrying reports raise serious questions that must be answered.
“Given the horrific nature of these crimes, it is concerning that these men are being given the chance to fraternise.
The SNP must work with all relevant services to ensure that public safety is being properly protected.”
We told how Strachan and Rennie, both of Edinburgh, were jailed for a minimum of 16 and 13 years respectively.
But appeal judges reduced Strachan’s term to nine years and Rennie’s to eight-and-a-half years.
As well as preying on a baby, teacher Rennie, ex-chief executive of LGBT Youth Scotland, also conspired to get access to children in order to abuse them.
Strachan tried to rape his 18-month-old victim while looking after him at Hogmanay 2005.
He also downloaded and pored over online child abuse images.
Strachan, who is HIV positive, was previously given a three-year prison sentence in 1997 for abusing a boy.
Cops uncovered the paedophile ring after he handed his computer in for repair and child abuse material was found.
A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: “We do not comment on individuals.
“Anyone being considered for home leave is subject to a rigorous multi-agency risk assessment and if approved, individualised plans are put in place to meet their risks and needs.”