Tam Paton
Thomas Dougal "Tam" Paton (5 August 1938 – 8 April 2009), was the manager and primary spokesman during the 1970s of the Scottish band the Bay City Rollers. Was known locally for his unhealthy interest in young boys
Biography
Born in Prestonpans, Scotland, he was the son of a potato merchant. Paton drove a truck to initially aid the group financially. He went on to guide the band through their peak during the 1970s, nurturing the band's image to be that of the "boys next door". He was responsible for starting a myth that the band members preferred drinking milk to alcohol, in order to cultivate this clean, innocent image.
In 1979, Paton was fired as manager, and went on to develop a multi-million pound real estate business based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Paton was openly gay.[1] In 1982 he was convicted of gross indecency with two teenage boys aged 16 and 17, below the then-legal age of consent of 21, and served one year of a three-year prison sentence.[2] Immediately following his death, numerous allegations of Paton drugging young boys, rape and his involvement in organised paedophile rings have come to light.[3][4][5][6]
In later years Paton suffered poor health including two heart attacks and a stroke. He was arrested on child sexual abuse charges in January 2003, but was later cleared of all allegations.[7] In April 2004, Paton was convicted of supplying cannabis and fined £200,000.[8] In 2007, he was accused but cleared of raping the band's guitarist, Pat McGlynn, in a hotel room in 1977.[9]
Paton died of a suspected heart attack aged 70 at his Edinburgh home on 8 April 2009.[10]
References
- ^ "Ex-Rollers manager is cleared on rape claims". News.scotsman.com. 2007-08-21. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
- ^ Dick, Sandra (26 January 2007), "Welcome to Tam Paton's weird world", The Scotsman, Edinburgh, retrieved 2017-08-06
- ^ "Why was Scottish Savile ignored?". Daily Express. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
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(help) - ^ "I saw boys of 8 abused by music mogul Tam Paton". Daily Express. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
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(help) - ^ "Bay City Rollers pervert Tam Paton urged band to have sex with paedophile Radio 1 DJ". Daily Record. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
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(help) - ^ "Footie kids were lured to Bay City Rollers beast Tam Paton's seedy Edinburgh lair after being told they'd meet the band". The Sun. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
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(help) - ^ "Rollers boss sex inquiry dropped", BBC, 10 March 2003, retrieved 2007-11-27
- ^ "Ex-Rollers boss fined £200,000", BBC, 30 April 2004, retrieved 2007-11-27
- ^ Edward, Rhiannon (22 August 2007), "Former Rollers manager Paton cleared of rape claim", The Scotsman, Edinburgh, retrieved 2009-04-10
- ^ "Ex-Bay City Rollers boss Tam Paton found dead in bath". News.scotsman.com. 2009-04-10. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
- Stambler, Irwin. Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock & Soul. 1974. St. Martin's Press, Inc. New York, N.Y. ISBN 0-312-25025-8.
- 1938 births
- 2009 deaths
- 20th-century Scottish criminals
- 21st-century Scottish criminals
- Bay City Rollers
- British people convicted of drug offences
- Drug dealers
- Gay men
- LGBT businesspeople from the United Kingdom
- LGBT people from Scotland
- People from Prestonpans
- Scottish businesspeople
- Scottish music managers
- Scottish people convicted of child sexual abuse
- Scottish sex offenders