BALTIMORE, MD—A Baltimore man was sentenced on Friday to 32 years in federal prison, followed by 50 years of supervised release, for coercing and sexually exploiting six minors, including girls as young as 9, in a series of crimes that spanned several Maryland counties, federal authorities said.
U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander imposed the sentence on Delroy James Scott, 25, who pleaded guilty to charges of coercion and enticement of a minor and sexual exploitation of children. The sentencing capped a case that revealed Scott’s use of online aliases and threats to manipulate victims between November 2021 and May 2022.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes announced the sentence alongside FBI Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger, Cumberland Police Chief Charles H. Hinnant, and Allegany County State’s Attorney James Elliott.
“Delroy Scott preyed on vulnerable children, using deception and intimidation to rob them of their innocence,” Hayes said in a statement. “This sentence ensures he will face severe consequences for his horrific actions.”
According to Scott’s guilty plea, he targeted six girls aged 9 to 14, posing as a 16-year-old on mobile apps to gain their trust. Prosecutors said he coerced the minors into producing sexually explicit images and videos, often threatening to expose them to their families if they resisted his demands for additional content or in-person meetings.
Among the incidents detailed in court, Scott traveled twice to the home of a 9-year-old victim, coercing her into sex acts. He pressured an 11-year-old girl to send explicit material and threatened to tell her parents unless she met him for sex. In another case, Scott climbed through the bedroom window of a 13-year-old in Allegany County and assaulted her. He also targeted a 12-year-old at her middle school, coercing her into sex acts on three occasions by threatening to release videos he claimed to have recorded.
Scott’s abuse extended to a 10-year-old, whom he blackmailed into sending more explicit videos, and a 15-year-old, with whom he recorded multiple instances of sexual conduct. Evidence presented at sentencing also showed Scott engaged in similar acts with other minors aged 12 to 16 between 2017 and 2022.
The investigation, led by the FBI with support from local law enforcement, uncovered Scott’s pattern of exploitation across Baltimore and Allegany counties. Authorities did not release additional details about the earlier victims, citing ongoing efforts to identify others affected.
Scott’s attorney did not immediately comment on the sentencing. Upon release, he will be required to register as a sex offender.
The case falls under Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation.
Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels
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