Michael Scott Jailed for Sick Online Abuse of Underage Girl
Michael Scott, 48, has been slammed with a six-year prison sentence for abusing an underage girl he groomed online. Prosecutors laid bare his depraved actions in court while his family watched on.
Groomed Victim with Gifts Before Abuse
Scott, who has no fixed address, began abusing the girl after they connected on social media. A friend of the victim spotted naked photos exchanged between them on her phone, sparking the investigation.
Prosecutor Henry James told Derby Crown Court on June 7: “Out of a depraved and sexual interest, he showered her with gifts.” The gifts included a laptop and sex toys. The victim later told police about a “catalogue of foul and depraved” acts Scott committed over two years.
Graphic Evidence Found on Scott’s Phone
Police discovered videos and photos of Scott abusing the girl on his phone. Scans also showed he searched online about whether iMessages could be used as court evidence.
“I was scared and worried at the time this happened,” the victim said in a short personal statement. “He threatened to kill me. I didn’t feel secure. I feel like I’m dealing with what happened well.”
Judge Slams ‘Unfathomable’ Abuse
On March 23, Scott pleaded guilty to two counts of having sex with a child under 18. The court accepted not guilty pleas on three counts of possessing indecent images.
Judge Shaun Smith QC handed down concurrent six-year sentences, describing Scott’s abuse as “demeaning and disgusting.” He said: “You systematically used and abused her. You recorded some of what happened, aggravating your situation. What you did must be unfathomable to the average person.”
Scott has now lost his home, job, and reputation. He must serve half his sentence in prison, then face supervised release. He is banned from contacting females under 18, must sign the sex offenders register, and is under an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
