A DJ who confessed to rape on a YouTube video before attempting to launch a career as a “forgiveness” guru has been jailed for six years.
Craig Strachan, 33, denied his crime during a trial at the High Court in Livingston in July, but was convicted by a jury.
The trial heard Strachan was 21 when he climbed into his victim’s bed uninvited at an address in Edinburgh in 2013, and touched her while she slept, prosecutors said.
When she woke, Strachan raped her.
Strachan confessed to his crime in 2022 during an interview with a host from YouTube channel I’mPossible Conversation, and said he “totally f***** up and raped a girl” when he was on drugs.
He said he discovered God in 2019, and “kept getting all of these horrible feelings, I was getting well-known in Edinburgh, I was getting really popular and had this kind of shadow behind me”.
He said it was “eating me inside” and he was “dying” and “contemplating suicide”.
In another YouTube webinar on Strachan’s channel, The Forgiveness Movement, he spoke of teaching “clients” how to “forgive” feelings “of guilt, of shame, of remorse” including by using meditation.
He said in a video, posted in 2022: “My name is Craig Strachan, and chances are, if you’re watching this video, you’re struggling to forgive yourself. You may be feeling feelings of guilt, of shame, of remorse, you may have a massive fear of judgment for what you’ve done.
“You may be manifested in uncontrollable situations, or just an overall sense of confusion about what to do next.
“I’ll also share with you my story, because I believe in my vulnerability will give you the power to share yours. I’ll also teach you techniques such as meditation, using the law of attraction and visualization to create a desired outcome, and for you to achieve forgiveness. To sign up, just click on the link on the top. See you in the masterclass.”
On Tuesday, at the High Court in Stirling, Strachan was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.
His name has been added to the sex offenders register indefinitely.
A 20-year non-harassment order, banning him from contacting or attempting to contact the victim, was granted.
Sentencing, Judge Fiona Tait told Strachan that his online confession had created “difficult circumstances” for the victim, due to “publicity which your online disclosure attracted”.
The judge said: “This offence is of considerable gravity. It has had, and will have, a substantial impact upon the complainer. The complainer should be commended for her courage in giving evidence, especially in the difficult circumstances of the publicity which your online disclosure attracted.
“Accordingly, because of the gravity of the offence, a custodial sentence is the only appropriate disposal in your case.”
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS)’s Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offending, Katrina Parkes, said: “Craig Strachan is a predatory individual who attacked the victim while she was sleeping.
“This type of offending has no place in Scotland and prosecutors within COPFS are committed to pursuing justice for victims of such crimes.
“I would encourage all victims or witnesses of similar offending to come forward, report their experiences and seek support.
“You will be taken seriously, listened to, and we will use all the tools available to us to pursue justice.”
