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'Deviant' babysitter abused girls at sleepovers after gaining their parents' trust

Keith Scott, 51, from North Yorkshire, was jailed after he admitted 23 charges including sexual assault, voyeurism and possessing more than 45,000 child abuse images Share Keith Scott outside Teeside Court (Image: Teesside Live/Katie Lunn) Get the biggest daily news stories by email Subscribe We will use your email address only for the purpose of sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email

A "deviant and distorted" babysitter secretly filmed girls as young as four and sexually abused an eight-year-old while she slept in bed.

Keith Scott, from North Yorkshire, hid a camera in his bathroom which he used to spy on the youngsters during his sinister sleepovers.

He admitted 23 charges including sexual assault, voyeurism and possessing more than 45,000 child abuse images, TeesideLive reported .

The 51-year-old manipulated parents over years, gaining their trust to mind their children and then exploiting them for his sexual gratification.

Scott's behaviour was finally aired in court on Monday, more than a decade after it began. Keith Scott, 51, admitted making indecent images, sexual assault and voyeurism

Teesside Crown Court heard how Scott filmed himself inappropriately touching one girl as she slept in bed, and him performing a sex act.

Jo Kidd, prosecuting, said the girl's unsuspecting parents "considered him to be a family friend, someone who would spend significant time at their home and someone they would trust implicitly with their children".

The eight sexual assaults between 2006 and 2009, were only uncovered three years ago when Scott's home in Marske was raided by Cleveland Police.

Officers found a catalogue of indecent images, with the most serious depicting a baby and the rape of a five-year-old.

Scott, of the village's Station Close, initially admitted possessing the images, the sex assaults at his home, and photographing a youngster through a hole in her trousers.

He also disclosed to police he had set up a covert camera in his bathroom to film girls as they used his toilet.

In all he was charged with five counts of voyeurism, with his hidden camera recording girls aged from four to 10 who had visited his home. Scott has been jailed for seven years over the offences (Image: Teesside Live/Katie Lunn)

His collection included 45 "first generation images" he had himself produced, along with thousands more he had downloaded from the internet.

Scott's victims described him as an "uncle" who would spoil them with expensive gifts, take them on trips away and was "particularly kind".

One parent told the court: "We all thought we could trust this man. All along he was manipulating the situation. It's disgusting to think I let this man look after my daughter."

Another said: "I can't believe he would do anything like this to my family. He was like an uncle to my children. As a mother, he's made me feel I have let down my daughter and failed as a parent.

"He's caused a lot of embarrassment, humiliation and stress to me - and most of all, my daughter. These feelings will stay with me forever."

Andrew Turton, mitigating, said Scott displayed "remorse and shame" for his crimes and had "candidly" revealed information about his offending to police during interview.

"He clearly needs help with his deviant and distorted thinking," he said. "He accepts he has a problem." Scott was described as a 'deviant' in court (Image: Teesside Live/Katie Lunn) Read More