'Unspeakable crimes:' US Marshals seek fugitive accused of faking own death after raping girl



JACKSON, Miss. -- A Mississippi man accused of faking his own death to avoid prosecution for raping a 14-year-old girl was added to the U.S. Marshals' list of 15 Most Wanted fugitives Wednesday, Jan. 29. Authorities asked the public for information that could lead to his arrest.

Jacob Scott, 43, "stands accused of unspeakable crimes against a child,” said U.S. Marshals Service Director Donald Washington. “The Marshals will leave no stone unturned until we bring him to justice.”

Scott faces a 14-count indictment charging him with sexual battery, touching a child for lustful purposes, and exploitation of a child. He was out on bond, but failed to appear for a scheduled court hearing, when investigators found his abandoned dinghy off the coast of Orange Beach, Alabama, in July 2018.

During their search of Scott’s vessel, authorities found a gun and a note, but little forensic evidence indicating a suicide.

A week-long search of the Gulf of Mexico was conducted for Scott’s body, but his remains were never found. Authorities later discovered Scott had withdrawn $45,000 from a bank account before his disappearance. The money was never recovered.

U.S. Marshals offered a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading directly to his arrest. Anyone with information should notify the agency at the nearest U.S. Marshals office, the Communications Center at 1-877-WANTED-2, online via the web, or an app at www.usmarshals.gov/tips.