EASTON — An Eastern Shore man is facing numerous sex offense charges after allegations of sexual abuse against a 15-year-old juvenile in Talbot and Caroline counties emerged earlier this month, police said.
Jeffrey Lake Scott, 49, is charged with second-degree rape, third-degree sex offense, sexual abuse of a minor and other related charges in connection to multiple incidents in the two counties.
According to charging documents, the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation into Scott after a detective responded to the University of Maryland Shore Medical Center in Easton in the early morning hours of July 4 for a reported sex offense.
Police spoke with the juvenile victim at the hospital, who told the detective that Scott began sexual encounters with her in November 2021 and that they had engaged in sexual intercourse four times at a residence in Caroline County.
Detectives arrested Scott in Easton later in the day on July 4 through a Caroline County District Court warrant.
Investigators also examined his cell phone during the arrest and found a photo that was later identified as child pornography, according to a separate Talbot County police report.
A bail review was held for the pending Caroline County charges on July 7. Scott was released from the Caroline County Detention center on a $50,000 unsecured bond.
Through their investigation, the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office found reason to believe the juvenile victim was also being sexually abused in Talbot County.
As he was being processed out of the detention center, detectives from the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office arrested him on similar charges relating to several incidents involving the same victim.
According to documents filed in the Talbot County case, Scott allegedly engaged in intercourse more than three times with the victim in the backseat of a truck on back roads in the Easton area while reportedly running errands. In one incident, he allegedly smacked her in the face.
During those times, Scott was responsible for the supervision of the juvenile.
Following his arrest by Talbot County deputies, Scott was initially ordered held without bond at the county detention center. He was ordered to remain held without bond at a July 8 bail review.
Scott is scheduled for two preliminary hearings in the Talbot and Caroline district courts on Aug. 1, according to online court records.
Detectives from the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office were assisted by members of the Talbot County State’s Attorney’s Office, Talbot County Department of Social Services, Caroline County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff and the Department of Homeland Security.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Corporal Aita of the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at 410-822-1020 ext. 8113.
