By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A sexual predator who preyed on 11 boys at football clubs and a church in the South-East has been jailed for a minimum of seven years.
Darran Scott, 53, groomed boys as young as 11 while he was a junior football coach and Mormon church member, Judge John Smallwood said during sentencing at Latrobe Valley County Court on 27 October.
“I can only describe you … as a sexual predator who, basically, got away with it for 25 years.”
Scott – also known as Darran Page – pleaded guilty to 15 sexual offences as well as perverting the course of justice and four firearms offences but showed little remorse, the judge said.
The indecent acts happened during camping and surfing trips as well as during visits and overnight stays at Scott’s home over a period of nearly 25 years since 1990, the court heard.
He plied his victims with alcohol, marijuana, sleeping pills and pornography.
“Don’t tell anyone. It’ll ruin me,” Scott allegedly told one of the victims.
It “put the lie” to Scott’s claims that he did not know he was doing anything wrong, the judge said.
Scott denied some of the allegations when he was interviewed by police in 2005, the judge noted.
The accused didn’t seek treatment at that stage but later sexually abused five further victims.
Scott’s letter written to one of his victims shortly before sentencing was “self-pitying”, Judge Smallwood said.
“You’ve ruined lives,” the judge said.
“The circumstances of all this offending over such a long period of time and the damage you did to so many lives can only be viewed as disgusting, in my view.”
Victims typically lost their childhood and their confidence. They felt anger, shame, became anti-social, their education disrupted and they found intimate relationships difficult, the court heard.
“They wondered why you did it to them and questioned their own sexuality,” Judge Smallwood said.
“They form a fear that others will disbelieve them and the feeling that it’s their fault.”
In a victim impact statement, a mother who had voiced her concerns about Scott’s behaviour said she was ostracised by many fellow church members and friends.
She was labelled as “mentally unwell” for airing her suspicions.
Another parent spoke of bearing a “heavy burden” for allowing her children to stay with “this monster”.
Judge Smallwood said Scott still had the support of his wife and members of his church – though the church itself had since ex-communicated him.
Scott recently reported to a psychologist that as a child he was sexually abused by neighbouring boys and had been sexually assaulted by soldiers while in the Army.
He was jailed for up to 10 years, with a minimum non-parole period of seven. He will be listed on the state’s sexual offenders’ register for life.
One of the victims told Star News that jail will “never, ever be enough” for Scott.
“It helps. At least he’s not out there harming other people.
“I guess it’s a sense of validation.”
The victim described Scott as a “disgusting human” who was able to fool a lot of people.
“If he is released one day, in my opinion, he will probably reoffend.
“I don’t think he’ll ever understand the consequences and the harm to many, many people through his actions.”
