A former children's home resident has told the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry that ex-Bay City Rollers manager Thomas Dougal 'Tam' Paton was '100%' involved in a paedophile ring. The witness, using the pseudonym Murphy, described how young boys were groomed at parties at Paton's house in Edinburgh in the early 1980s.
Details of the Abuse
Murphy, who was in his early teens at the time and a resident at Ponton House in Edinburgh, said he attended parties at Paton's house because others were going. Paton, who managed the Bay City Rollers during their most successful period, was jailed for three years in 1982 for sex offences involving teenage boys and died in 2009.
Testifying at the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry in Edinburgh on Friday, Murphy said drugs and alcohol were available at the parties, and indecent films were shown. Older men would take underage boys to private rooms. The witness claimed that two individuals he believed were judges attended the parties, along with other professionals 'with their suits and fancy cars.'
Describing one incident, Murphy said: 'I was fed drugs in Tam's living room, and a guy came and took me to a room. I took a knife with me. I took the knife out, and the guy jumped up and told me he was a judge.' He then felt a pain in his head, fell unconscious, and was later taken away in a car.
Grooming Process
Inquiry judge Lady Smith asked if attending the parties was initially a 'what's not to like' situation. Murphy replied: 'Yes, till it got sexual. At first, it was drugs, then later it was like we were groomed. It was not like you were taken in and there were guys touching you; it was lots of times through the day and you got something to drink, then later on it would be at night.'
Murphy also testified about encountering convicted sex offender John Wilson, now in his 80s. Wilson was jailed for more than 12 years in December 2022 for sexual offences spanning 56 years, including assaulting three teenage boys. Murphy said he saw Wilson inside Ponton House, but Paton would sit outside in his car, waiting to pick up boys and take them to parties.
Enforcer Role
The witness stated that when he was older, he became an 'enforcer' for Paton, finding boys for him due to threats of violence and the potential release of compromising pictures. James Peoples KC, lead senior counsel to the inquiry, asked: 'Are you in any doubt that what was happening was a paedophile ring?' Murphy replied: '100%.'
Murphy said he was not proud of procuring boys for Paton but noted that on one occasion, he was threatened with a knife by someone acting for Paton and feared what would happen if he did not comply. Lady Smith asked how Paton made him feel, to which Murphy replied: 'Terrified.'
Murphy also suggested Paton used his connections with high-profile figures to get what he wanted. 'Tam was a man who liked to tell you what power he had. He didn't hide who he knew,' the witness said.
Ponton House Involvement
Murphy did not understand why he was placed in Ponton House, where he was one of the youngest, as it was more a hostel for older boys. When asked if staff at Ponton House knew what was happening and turned a 'blind eye,' Murphy replied: 'Yes, as far as I'm concerned.'
The Ponton Trust, which succeeded the Ponton House Trust in 2023, issued a statement at the opening of the latest inquiry phase in January, saying: 'The trustees of the Ponton Trust unequivocally condemn and abhor any such abuse and offer an apology to any young person who was subjected to abuse while residing at the Ponton House Boys' Residence.'
The current phase of the inquiry is examining residential care for children in establishments run by local authorities and voluntary providers. The inquiry continues.
