May 2018 Convicted sex offender who posed as prostitute is jailed for 18 months A CONVICTED sex offender, described as a “Walter Mitty character,” who posed as a prostitute to dupe unsuspecting men to pay him for sex, was jailed for 18 months today. Antrim Crown Court heard that as well as posing as a prostitute, 29-year-old Scott Tootill incited one girl to become a prostitute and facilitated other women, who were already escorts, by arranging clients and a hotel room in his Limavady hometown. In total Tootill, from Meadowvale Park in the Co Derry town, pleaded guilty to two counts of controlling the prostitution for gain and one of inciting someone to become a prostitute. He also pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud by false representation in that he posed as an escort for hire in an effort to dupe unsuspected men on various dates in February last year. Tootill also confessed to two charges of breaching a lifelong, court-imposed Sexual Offences Prevention Order by having mobile phones at his home and five further counts of breaching the requirements of the police sex offenders register. Those charges detail how between December 28 2016 and March 4 last year, Tootill failed to tell police he was using five different aliases The court heard how police searched Tootill’s house on March 4 when an off-duty police officer reported he had witnessed him breaching court orders by having a mobile phone. Prosecuting barrister Tessa Kitson told that in addition to evidence gleaned from the phones being examined, Tootill accepted he used the fake names and posed as a prostitute “as a means to financially exploit victims for his own reward.” “He advertised himself on adult websites under the guise of female names to attract potential clients for sexual services….who would be expected to forward financial transactions to his bank account as directed but when the money was transferred, there would not be any sexual service,” explained the lawyer. In relation to the charges of controlling prostitution, Mrs Kitson told the court how Tootill contacted women who were already working as prostitutes and “invited them to work at a hotel in Limavady” where he booked a room and arranged for clients to visit them. Tootill told police that while the women charged £100, “he would be paid £20”. Ms Kitson said that Tootill’s previous offences were “very relevant.” In 2012 he was handed a five year sentence after he posed as a woman to set up a fake modelling agency so he could take photographs of young girls. He had pleaded guilty to three counts of inciting sexual activity with a child and two of attempting to facilitate child prostitution or involvement in pornography in March 2011. In court today, defence barrister Mark Barlow described Tootill as “something of a Walter Mitty character” who has never had a normal adult relationship with anyone outside of his family. He submitted that apart from Tootill’s own confessions, there was no evidence or statement from the women he allegedly encouraged to become a prostitute and that “had he kept his mouth shut,” the only offences he would likely have faced was in relation to the SOPO breaches. Judge Desmond Marrinan ordered Tootill to spend 18 months in jail and two years in licence. The judge said that “to have an interest in sex is in human nature but with his record, his interest seems to be unhealthy.” November 2013 Fermanagh arrest of ‘model agent’ who tried to lure girls into porn A pervert who attempted to lure children into prostitution or pornography has been jailed AGAIN, this time for two months. Scott Tootill appeared at Fermanagh Court by video link from Maghaberry Prison. He admitted contravening a SOPO (Sexual Offences Prevention Order) by having a mobile phone with internet access in his bedroom at Glendarragh Park in Ederney on August 21, this year. On July 3, last year, 25-year-old Tootill appeared at Londonderry Crown Court, having pleaded guilty to attempting to arrange or facilitate child prostitution or pornography. The offence involved two young girls. He also pleaded guilty to three charges of inciting three girls under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity. Tootill was sentenced to two years in prison followed by three years on licence. He was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register and remain on it for the rest of his life. Judge Piers Grant also imposed a SOPO, barring Tootill from contacting or working with children, using or owning a computer and mobile phone without express permission, contacting his teenage victims and from loitering around child-centred facilities such as schools and play parks. The court heard how he was involved in “grooming at the highest order”. The judge said Tootill took the deliberate and “calculated” decision to masquerade as a woman to lull young girls into “a false sense of security”. He said the only reasonable inference to be drawn from his conduct was that he intended to have some form of sexual activity with his victims. The charges arose, the court heard, when Tootill set up a fake modelling agency on the Facebook social network internet site and was in contact with the three victims, who were all 15 years old at the time. Prosecuting lawyer Roseanne McCormick revealed that the fake agency had listed up to 100 young girls as “friends”. She told the court that Tootill posed as a photographer, claiming to have worked for the agency for three years and in various text messages sent to the schoolgirls, he had asked them if they would be interested in “glamour” photography. One victim, who was told she would be paid £400 for posing, went to Tootill’s home and received further text messages from the modelling agency telling her the photos would be “naked pictures of her doing dirty stuff”. When police raided Tootill’s home they seized mobile phones and computer equipment. When interviewed, Tootill admitted it was his intention to use his mobile phone to photograph the girls in pornographic shots. Judge Grant said he accepted Tootill had neither taken photographs nor touched any of the girls inappropriately, but that nevertheless “it’s quite clear that they were considerably affected as a result”. Tootill served his jail sentence and was released on licence earlier this year. He was served with the SOPO on April 24, but within a matter of months had breached the order, designed to stop him committing further sex offences. A prosecutor told Fermanagh Court that on May 24, this year, the police officer assigned as Tootill’s designated risk manager gave him permission to have a basic mobile phone, with no camera nor internet access. On August 21, police from the Offender Management Unit paid a surprise visit to Tootill and spoke to him in his bedroom in Ederney. They told him they were going to inspect the premises. He told them he only had the one mobile phone, as approved by his designated risk manager. However, as the police were about to check his wardrobe he admitted he had another phone and it had internet access. He then went to the wardrobe and took a phone from under some clothes. It had a camera on it and Tootill admitted having used it to access the internet for about three weeks. The court heard that the police seized the phone and a notebook containing a person’s details and mobile phone number. Tootill was interviewed and made a full admission, saying he had joined Plenty of Fish, the online dating and matchmaking service, using the names “Eddie” and “David”. He said he didn’t meet anyone face-to-face. Tootill also admitting visiting Facebook posing as a woman. Defence solicitor Gary Smyth said Tootill had co-operated with probation in the preparation of the pre-sentence report, and the police, showing them where he kept the phone. “He does accept that what he did was wrong,” said Mr. Smyth, adding that Tootill has been assessed as being of “the lowest risk of causing harm”. The solicitor told the court Tootill had committed no offences, save for the fact that he had the phone. He said Tootill’s licence has been revoked and he is back in custody. His position is due to be reviewed in early December and if he isn’t re-released on licence he could spend a considerable time in custody – until April 2016. District Judge Nigel Broderick said he was giving Tootill credit for his early admission of guilt but the offence was aggravated by the fact it was committed shortly after the SOPO was made. July 2012 Jailed… man who set up fake model agency to groom young girls A man who posed as a woman and set up a fake modelling agency so he could take photographs of young girls has been handed a five-year sentence. Scott Tootill (23) has also been ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register and remain on it for the rest of his life. Tootill appeared at Londonderry Crown Court, sitting in Belfast, yesterday when he was handed a five-year sentence which was split into two years in prison followed by three on licence. Judge Piers Grant also imposed a life-long Sexual Offences Prevention Order barring the Limavady man from contacting or working with children, using or owning a computer and mobile phone without express permission, contacting his teenage victims and from “loitering” around child-centred facilities. Tootill, whose address was given as care of Maghaberry prison, had pleaded guilty to three counts of inciting sexual activity with a child and two of attempting to facilitate child prostitution or involvement in pornography in March last year. The court heard how he was involved in “grooming at the highest order”. Describing how Tootill took the deliberate and “calculated” decision to masquerade as a woman to lull young girls into “a false sense of security”, the judge told the pervert the only reasonable inference to be drawn from his conduct was that he intended to have some form of sexual activity with his victims. The charges arose, the court heard, when Tootill set up a fake modelling agency on the Facebook social network and was in contact with the three victims who were all 15 years old at the time. Prosecuting lawyer Roseanne McCormick revealed that the fake agency had listed up to 100 young girls as friends. She told the court that Tootill himself posed as a photographer, claiming to have worked for the agency for three years and in various text messages sent to the schoolgirls, he had asked them if they would be interested in “glamour” photography. One victim, who was told she would be paid £400 for posing, went to Tootill’s home and received further text messages from the modelling agency telling her the photos would be “naked pictures of her doing dirty stuff”. When police raided Tootill’s home they seized mobile phones and computer equipment. During police interviews, Tootill admitted it was his intention to use his mobile phone to photograph the girls in pornographic shots. Yesterday, Judge Grant said he accepted Tootill had neither taken photographs nor touched any of the girls inappropriately, but that nevertheless “it’s quite clear that they were considerably affected as a result”. June 2012 Limavady man ‘masqueraded’ as photographer for model agency A Limavady man “masqueraded” as a model agency and a photographer to entice teenage girls to pose for naked photos, a court has heard. Scott Tootill, whose address was given on court papers as c/o Maghaberry, pleaded guilty to inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to facilitate child prostitution or pornography. The charges relate to contact he had with three 15-year-old girls between March 21 and March 25, last year. Derry Crown Court heard the 23-year-old set up a fake modelling agency on a social networking site and also pretended to be a photographer for the agency. One of the girls was contacted by the fake modelling agency and also received text messages from the photographer to come to Limavady for photographs to be taken. Tootill asked the girl if she would be interested in “glamour” modelling shots, which could be of her topless or in her underwear. However, the court heard this girl never met with the defendant. The second girl was also contacted by the fake modelling agency and she expressed an interest in modelling. It was made clear to her in subsequent messages that glamour modelling meant naked photos and if this made her uncomfortable, her “head wouldn’t have to be in the photos.” The third injured party received similar messages from the fake modelling agency and photographer. She was later approached by Tootill who told her he had worked for the modelling agency for three years and if she posed for photos would be paid around £400. She received further text messages from the modelling agency telling her the photos would be “naked pictures of her doing dirty stuff”. This girl was invited to Tootill’s home and while there received further sexually explicit messages from the fake agency. It was revealed to the court the matter was later reported to social services and police, who carried out a search of the 23-year-old’s home and seizedcomputer equipment. The fake model agency page on the social networking site had up to 100 young girls as friends. During interview Tootill admitted it was his intention to use his mobile phone to photograph the girls in pornographic shots. However, it is accepted by the prosecution the defendant did not photograph the teenagers he was in contact with. Defence QC Billy McCrory said his client lives a “fairly solitary existence” and “seems to have devoted an unhealthy amount of time in cyberspace instead of in the real world”. He said “serious as these matters are” the offending took place “almost at a distance”, leading to him meeting with just one of them and nothing inappropriate took place”. Mr McCrory said his client has now learned his lesson. Judge Piers Grant said it was his opinion Tootill’s actions were “grooming at the higest order”. He added he wished to consider the sentence and remanded Tootill in custody to appear in court again next week.