Pretrial motions are slated to begin Tuesday ahead of jury selection for the trial of a probationer accused of cultivating an online relationship with a 12-year-old girl, leading to multiple sexual assaults in Riverside over a five-month span.
Robert Downing Scott Jr., 34, of Riverside, was arrested in 2022 following a Riverside Police Department investigation.
Scott is charged with four counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, two counts each of lewd acts on a child, contacting a minor to commit a felony and possession of child pornography, and one count each of using a minor to produce child porn and attempted oral copulation of a child.
During a status hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice Monday, the prosecution and defense indicated readiness for trial, prompting assignment of the case to the courtroom of Riverside County Superior Court Judge Emma Smith, who’s set to hear pretrial motions Tuesday regarding evidence, witnesses and scheduling.
Scott was being held in lieu of $3 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center.
According to then-Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback, Scott met the victim, identified in court documents only as “S.J.,” in early February 2022 via social media and “groomed her” in ongoing conversations via the online channels.
The defendant ultimately persuaded the girl to see him on several occasions, during which she was sexually assaulted, Railsback alleged at the time.
The victim eventually told others what had allegedly happened, and the police department’s Sexual Assault-Child Abuse Unit initiated an investigation in the first week of June 2022 that netted sufficient evidence for detectives to obtain an arrest warrant that was served on Scott in the area of University and Chicago avenues on the afternoon of June 22, according to police.
“This investigation is a stark reminder to parents and children about the dangers and risks associated with social media, and how easy children can become victimized by sex predators,” Railsback said.
According to court records, the defendant has a prior conviction for statutory rape.
If convicted of the current charges, he could face life in prison.