Accused child rapist arrested a year after faking death (2020)
A Mississippi man who staged his own suicide to avoid criminal prosecution for child rape was sentenced to 85 years in prison.
Jacob Blair Scott, 44, was tried and convicted of one crime of child exploitation, four charges of sexual touching of a child, and nine counts of sexual battery.
Scott was sentenced to 85 years in prison, plus $10,000 in fines, by Jackson County Circuit Judge Kathy King Jackson. Scott, she asserts, will be serving a life sentence.
Investigators discovered Scott’s small boat off the shore of Orange Beach, Alabama, in July 2018. Officials discovered a rifle and a message aboard the boat, but there was little evidence that a suicide took place.
Authorities tried to discover Scott’s body after a weeks-long search, according to the US Marshals.
Scott was out on bond and had a pending court appearance when he staged his own suicide. Scott also took out $45k from a local bank before fleeing, according to authorities.
Scott was placed on the U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted Fugitive List in January 2020 before being apprehended.
Scott was detained in an Oklahoma RV park in 2020 while residing under a different name.
The evidence in the case, according to Judge Jackson, was “overwhelming.”
“The evidence is overwhelming,” stated Jackson. “It’s more evidence than I’ve probably ever seen.”
During the trial, the victim testified that Scott had sexually abused her at least 30 times throughout 2016 and 2017, which ended when she became impregnated. According to her testimony, she gave birth to the child.
The crime, according to District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath, was “brazen and so vile.”
Scott testified that he committed the crimes while suffering from post-traumatic stress. Scott pleaded with Jackson to consider his mental health, saying he was depressed, overmedicated, and had relationship problems that muddied his judgment.
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, Scott is a Purple Heart recipient for his service in Iraq.
