photo by: Douglas County Sheriff's Office/Contributed Photo

Jimmy E. Scott, pictured in December 2018

A Lawrence man was sentenced Monday to three years in prison after pleading guilty to indecent liberties with a child.

Jimmy E. Scott, 45, pleaded guilty to the charge, a level 5 felony, in March. He had previously been charged with aggravated indecent liberties, a slightly more severe level 4 felony.

As the Journal-World reported, Scott’s charges stem from a 15-year-old girl’s report in March 2018 about an incident that took place while she was at a friend’s house.

The girl told police that she had fled to the friend’s home after a fight with her own father. The girl said that Scott, who was her friend’s father, pushed her into a bedroom at his home and told her “you don’t have to be sad.” She said he then kissed her on the mouth, grabbed her buttocks and started kissing her neck. The girl told police that Scott then lifted her onto the bed, climbed on top of her and tried to remove her clothes, but she pushed him off and ran out of the room.

The charge, with Scott’s criminal history of one misdemeanor theft conviction, was in the border box of the sentencing guidelines grid, meaning Scott could have been granted probation or sent to prison at the judge’s discretion.

Scott’s defense attorney, Hatem Chahine, requested that Douglas County District Court Judge Kay Huff grant Scott probation. Chahine said Scott has completed substance abuse evaluations and other things he’s been asked to do, such as complying with sex offender registration requirements.

“I’ve been praying and hoping I’d get probation,” Scott told the judge. He said he’s been “working like a dog” at his job and keeping up with his mental health treatment.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Debby Moody said at sentencing that Scott “took advantage of the situation and committed this crime,” which Moody said was “a very big concern, obviously, for the state.”

However, she said Scott had done a lot of work, and that the state would not object to the request for probation. A sex offender evaluation did not indicate that Scott was a high risk to reoffend, Moody said.

Huff said it was true that Scott had made some efforts, but the circumstances of the case and the age discrepancy between him and the victim — ages 42 and 15, respectively, at the time — were concerning to her. She sentenced him to 36 months in prison, and he was remanded into custody after the hearing.

Huff waived Scott’s fees except for a DNA database fee. Scott is eligible for 15% good time credit. He will have lifetime post-release supervision. He must register as a sex offender for 25 years, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation website.

Related coverage

• Jan. 14, 2019: Affidavit: Teen said friend’s father assaulted her after she fled fight with her own father

• Date: Lawrence man charged with sex crime against 15-year-old