Former school aide who abused young relative for years sentenced
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EDITOR’S NOTE: The following story contains details of a graphic sexual nature, user discretion is advised.
IDAHO FALLS — A former school aide who sexually abused a relative has been sentenced to between three and 15 years in prison.
Jason Travis Scott, 48, had been accused of sexually abusing a young relative from the time she was nine to when she was 13. Earlier this week, District Judge Joel Tingey gave him 15 years, with three years fixed and 12 years indeterminate.
Scott pleaded guilty as charged to felony lewd conduct with a child as part of a plea agreement. The agreement stipulated the prosecution could recommend no more than five years fixed. During sentencing, Bonneville County Chief Deputy Prosecutor John Dewey recommended a sentence of five years fixed with 15 years indeterminate. The judge opted to change it to 12 years indeterminate. Lewd conduct with a minor has a maximum penalty of life in prison.
In addition to the sentencing, Tingey also extended the no-contact order between Scott and the victim for 15 years.
Police reports show Scott was originally arrested Oct. 29, 2018, after the then 16-year-old victim told her mother Scott had sexually abused her for several years.
During a forensic interview with police, the victim explained various sex acts Scott performed on her and forced her to perform on him.
She told the forensic interviewer, on several occasions when she was alone with Scott he touched her private areas and performed sex acts on her after instructing her to remove her clothes. He also masturbated while making her stand naked in front of him.
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The victim said she learned what Scott was doing to her was wrong when she was in middle school. Scott kept touching her inappropriately even after she told him to stop.
According to documents, when Scott was questioned by investigators he admitted to much of the abuse the victim described. He said he was ashamed and had told the victim he would never touch her again.
“Jason also commented that he didn’t think this has hurt their relationship since (the abuse occurred),” investigators noted in court documents.
Scott was hired as an American Sign Language interpreter for Hillcrest High School in August 2017. In an interview last year, former Bonneville County School District 93 Superintendent Charles Shackett told EastIdahoNews.com Scott was terminated in 2018 after a student’s mother reported inappropriate text messages found between Scott and her daughter.