FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, August 2, 2019

Contact: Jessie Knudsen, jessie.knudsen@co.thurston.wa.us

Olympia, WA -- On July 25, 2019, Tacoma man Cortny Scott, 33, was sentenced in Thurston County Superior Court to 25 years to life for multiple counts of rape of a child and one count of child molestation. The case stemmed from an October 2017 arrest, when Scott's ex-wife discovered he had a baby with another woman during their marriage and left him. Following the couple's separation, Scott's two daughters disclosed to their mother that Scott had been sexually abusing them in Thurston County. The Defendant's DNA was found on swabs taken from one of the victims.

Scott was convicted by a jury on June 6, 2019, after a trial that spanned for approximately three weeks. The complex case was prosecuted by Thurston County Special Victims Team Leader, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Megan A. Winder.

"There were a lot of moving parts, including multiple victims, Washington State Patrol Forensic Scientists and law enforcement officers," Winder said.

"Tumwater Police Department did a great investigation that ultimately led to me having sufficient evidence to prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt. Justice really prevailed here – I am grateful to the jury for recognizing this man as someone who caused these girls suffering and hopeful that they will be able to move on from this knowing that their step-father is never going to be able to hurt them again."

An exceptional sentence of 31 years to life was requested by the State for Scott. The jury found that in this case the sexual abuse was aggravated by the fact that the defendant had a trust relationship with the girls, and the pattern of abuse occurred repeatedly over a significant period of time.