A Mississippi man who faked his death in 2018 to avoid being prosecuted for raping and impregnating a 14-year-old girl was sentenced on Friday to 85 years in prison.
Jacob Blair Scott, 45, admitted to sexually assaulting the girl in Jackson County. Scott purchased her Plan B and various pills when she became pregnant with his baby in 2017, according to the Sun Herald. (Plan B is not an abortion pill and will not terminate an existing pregnancy.)
The victim testified that Scott raped her 30 times, and the assaults began in 2016 when her mother was disabled and was sleeping a lot due to medications. The victim also said that Scott was a father figure to her as her biological father died when she was eight.
The girl said she had no intention of terminating the pregnancy as she “didn’t believe in abortion and no matter what, it wasn’t the baby’s fault, and I knew that.”
The victim’s mother did not learn of the sexual assaults until her daughter was hospitalized. A DNA test confirmed Scott fathered her baby, according to the Sun Herald.
However, Scott testified that the child victim had initiated sexual contact by rubbing his genitals while he was drunk on beers and medicated.
“She wanted me to scratch her back,” Scott said. “I had sex with (the girl) because she came on to me.”
The Sun Herald reported that Scott then blamed the repeated rapes on his post-traumatic stress disorder and other medical issues which were caused when he served in Iraq.
Scott was expected to plead guilty in 2018 but he faked his own death in Orange Beach, Alabama. At the time, authorities found his abandoned boat, a handgun tied to a rope, and a small amount of blood. His truck was parked nearby.
“If you find this, contact Melody Scott. My name is Jacob Scott, Jackson County. I’m sorry,” a note at the scene reportedly read.
Federal authorities found Scott living in a camper in Oklahoma in January 2021. He was using someone else’s name, according to The Detroit News.
In addition to the 85-year prison sentence, Scott was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
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[Featured image: Jacob Blair Scott/Jackson County Sheriff’s Office]
