SIMON SCOTT FROM ABERDEEN CONVICTED OF SEXUAL OFFENCES DURING PHOTOSHOOTS IN ABERDEEN AND GLASGOW
In August 2023, a professional photographer named Simon Scott, aged 44 and residing on Sunnyside Road in Aberdeen, was found guilty of multiple sexual assault charges involving five women aged between 17 and 20.The convictions were handed down at Aberdeen Sheriff Court after a detailed and extensive trial that uncovered disturbing allegations of misconduct during various photoshoots in both Aberdeen and Glasgow.
Scott faced a series of serious accusations, including sexual assault and indecent behaviour, which spanned over several years.
The victims, all women aged between 16 and 20, recounted incidents that took place during professional photo sessions, with some assaults occurring in hotel rooms and private residences.
The court heard that Scott’s actions were not isolated but part of a pattern of predatory behaviour.
The investigation into Scott’s conduct was one of the most comprehensive in recent times.
Law enforcement officers meticulously examined thousands of his photographs, with approximately 150,000 images containing explicit nudity or erotic content.
This extensive digital forensic work was crucial in establishing the context of Scott’s activities and the nature of his interactions with the victims.
Scott’s legal team argued that he was the victim of a “witch-hunt,” attempting to dismiss the allegations as unfounded.
However, the prosecution painted a different picture, emphasizing Scott’s large social media following—over 100,000 followers on Instagram—and his professional associations with modelling agencies in Scotland and London.
These connections allegedly provided him with access to young women, some of whom he exploited.
The case gained further momentum when Scott was arrested in 2020, following a social media post that urged women who believed they had been victimized by him to come forward and report their experiences to the police.
During the investigation, cybercrime officers sifted through several million images stored on Scott’s devices, ultimately identifying around 150,000 photographs that contained explicit material.
After a trial lasting nearly six hours, a jury composed of nine women and six men reached a majority verdict, convicting Scott on five of the charges.
The remaining seven charges resulted in not proven verdicts, meaning the jury did not find sufficient evidence to convict on those counts.
Throughout the proceedings, Scott remained silent and sat motionless as the verdicts were read out.
Prosecutor Lynne MacVicar described Scott as a “manipulative,” “opportunistic,” and “predatory” sex offender, urging the jury to hold him accountable.
She argued that his actions demonstrated a calculated pattern of exploiting situations for his own gratification, often in a manipulative manner.
Following the conviction, Sheriff Morag McLaughlin ordered Scott to be placed on the sex offenders register.
She also deferred sentencing until September 1, allowing time for a criminal justice social work report and an assessment for a restriction of liberty order.
Scott was released on bail pending sentencing.
The specific charges Scott was found guilty of include sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman during a Christmas Eve photoshoot at City Dance Moves in Aberdeen in 2015, assaulting a 20-year-old woman at the Jurys Inn Hotel in Aberdeen between 2015 and 2016, assaulting a 19-year-old girl during a photoshoot at the CitizenM Hotel in Glasgow’s Renfrew Street in December 2015, assaulting a 19-year-old woman in her Aberdeen home in April 2016, and sexually assaulting a 17-year-old schoolgirl at the CitizenM Hotel in Glasgow in February 2017.
These incidents highlight a disturbing pattern of behaviour that has now been formally recognized and condemned by the justice system.
