Top BBC Scotland director guilty of sending explicit sexual images to teen girls

An award-winning BBC Scotland film director has been banned from using social media after being convicted of sending explicit sexual images of himself to three teenage girls.

Simon Craig, who worked as a writer and director for BBC’s The Social under the name Simon Fox, targeted his victims when he was a DJ at under-18s club nights in Edinburgh.

He added the girls, then aged 14 and 15, on social media platforms before going on to send them explicit images of himself and pornographic videos.

A victim, now in her 30s, said: “He thought he was untouchable. I doubt we’re the only vict-ims, I’m sure there will be more.”

Craig, 41, from Airdrie, Lanarkshire, was convicted of lewd, explicit and libidinous practices and behaviour, at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, towards three victims between February 2005 and July 2007.

Despite his conviction, Craig remained as someone commissioned by the public broadcaster until last week.

His work was listed on their site until we asked them about his criminal past. His profile has since been removed.

In June, Craig was handed a community payback order, placed under supervision for 18 months and banned from social media platforms.

He was snared after a victim came across his photography website. She was so concerned over the images feat-uring kids she re-
ported his crimes against her.

She said: “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 14.

“He then added me on the Vampire Freaks website and it wasn’t long be-
fore he start-ed sending me images. It was really disturbing and unsettling. I was a child. I didn’t ask for
any of it.

“He went on to become an award-winning actor, writer and director. He then began working as a freelance photographer and started to work on one with young girls doing photo sessions.

“It was when I came across his website I knew I had to come forward. It was full of photographs of young girls in compromising positions and very little clothing.

“The positions and poses are uncomfortably suggestive. He is well known in film circles but, in truth, he is a predator.”

BBC The Social is a digital platform based in Glasgow that develops creative new talent.

On the BBC Scotland site, his profile, listed under Simon Fox, explained that he began writing at the age of 17 before progressing onto filmmaking.

He has created web content and short films and internet series ‘Met-alhedz’ was nominated for Best International Com-
edy at the 2016 Miami Web Fest.

The BBC website stated: “Simon continues to write and direct for film and TV, and enjoys photography on the side.”

Craig was convicted of sending one of the victims, then 14-years-old, explicit images of himself between February 2005 and 2006.

He was also convicted of repeatedly sending another victim, then aged 15, sexual images of himself and messages of a sexual nature between July 2006 and July 2007.

Craig was also convicted of sending another 15-year-old victim sexualised messages and a pornographic video.

The offences took place at his Musselbrugh home.

A BBC Scotland spokeswoman said: “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.”

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