Felon Convicted Of Repeatedly Sexually Abusing RivCo Girl

RIVERSIDE, CA — A probationer who gained the trust of a 12-year-old Riverside girl he met via the internet and then sexually assaulted her multiple times over a five-month span was convicted of more than a dozen felony charges.

After two days of deliberations, a Riverside jury on Tuesday afternoon found Robert Downing Scott Jr., 34, of Riverside guilty of seven counts of lewd acts on a child, five counts of aggravated sexual assault of a minor, two counts each of contacting a minor to commit a felony and possession of child pornography, and one count of using a minor to produce child porn.

Court minutes published Wednesday morning showed Riverside County Superior Court Judge Emma Smith scheduled a sentencing hearing for Oct. 16 at the Riverside Hall of Justice. She also ordered Downing held without bail at the Byrd Detention Center. He had been previously held in lieu of $3 million.

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According to a trial brief filed by the District Attorney's Office, the victim encountered the defendant in November 2021 while chatting via the social media site "Spotafriend."

Scott admitted he was 30 years old and asked during a later conversation whether she was interested in being a "friend with benefits." The girl affirmed and sent compromising photographs of herself after he requested them, according to the brief.

Their first physical encounter occurred before Christmas of that year, when he retrieved the child — whose mother was at work — via an Uber, taking her to his RV parked in the area of Chicago and University avenues, the brief said.

During the overnight rendezvous, the defendant fondled the girl and snapped photos of her nude for a lengthy period before engaging in intermittent intercourse that lasted all night, according to court papers. She returned home the next morning.

The victim later told authorities that Scott had a "Daddy" fixation and enjoyed placing baby pacifiers in her mouth while taking pictures, the brief said, adding that she acknowledged never knowing her biological father and didn't mind when "the defendant would tell her to call him `Dad."'

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"The defendant would call (the girl) his `daughter,"' the narrative said. "(The girl) indicated that she felt like a kid again, and that if she were to tell him what he wanted, he wouldn't do anything bad."

From December 2021 to June 2022, there were numerous encounters between the two, either at Scott's mobile home, or at motel rooms he'd reserved, court papers said. Investigators said there were occasions in which he was short of money and asked the youth to swipe funds from her mother's accounts for him, which she did.

The victim told authorities she endured physical trauma, about which she tried not to complain. However, on one occasion, she insisted that Scott "stop" while in bed, attempting to kick him away, but he covered her mouth and continued until he was "finished," according to the brief.

The encounters were ultimately uncovered by the girl's mother, who came across the explicit conversations her daughter had been having with Scott after checking the child's cell phone, documents said.

After Riverside police detectives confirmed he was on probation for a prior conviction of statutory rape, the convicted felon was arrested without incident near downtown Riverside on June 22, 2022.

He is facing life in prison with the possibility of parole.