Scott Cameron demanded naked pictures from the girl and asked her to “meet him in the woods”
Scott Cameron outside Liverpool Crown Court(Image: Liverpool Echo)
A girl who was groomed and sexually abused by a firefighter she met on a school open day said “he stole a part of my childhood which he replaced with fear and silence”. The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was aged just 13 when she was targeted by Scott Cameron, who worked for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service.
Cameron, 41, made contact with the teenager after she and a friend left a “childish” thank you letter to one of his co-workers, whom they had “taken a shine to”. The card, which was decorated with love hearts and a smiley face, contained the victim’s phone number, which Cameron used to contact the girl – initially posing as his co-worker.
He preyed on the girl, calling her “gorgeous” and asking for pictures of her in a bikini. This escalated to him demanding naked pictures of the girl, threatening that if she did not send “proper ones” the pictures would be shared around. He also offered to pay her for photographs.
The relationship progressed and Cameron, a dad-of-two from Norris Green, revealed his true identity and asked the victim to “meet him in the woods”. They continued to meet over a period of around two years.
Prosecution Nick Cockrell said: “The meetings were always clandestine and involved her sneaking out of her house, going in his car his long-term partner’s car, and at her house when her mum was at work.
“By this time, his systematic and sustained grooming had evidently worked. He had manipulated her into sending him fully nude photographs and she was engaging with him in a ‘full on’ sexual way, most likely culminating in them having sex when her family were away.”
In a victim statement, the victim said: “I hate the fact that the beginning of my teenage years was surrounded by abuse. Over two years were taken from me by Scott when I was as young as 13. My immaturity was used against me and he made me feel as if it was normal. I was just a child and he was the adult with full control over me. He stole a part of my childhood which he replaced with fear and silence.
“I couldn’t tell anyone about anything and I felt trapped. Once he was able to manipulate me into sending one image, that’s when I felt there was no going back. To this day I feel disgusted with my own body, knowing I was coerced into sending things I didn’t want to show and that pictures of myself might still be out there somewhere.”
She said “everything went downhill for her” after she was raped by another man. But when she told Cameron what had happened, the court heard “he responded in such a way that made it clear that he was jealous about what the male had got to do with her”.
She said: “I struggled further with self harm and relationships with my family. I occasionally drank excessively even on weekdays, which severely damaged my performance in school.
“I was scared for my own safety for a long time as Scott had convinced me he was a dangerous man and I should be cautious of him. I thought he would take revenge on me for reporting him to the police.
“I have also noticed that his aggression has changed me into a similar kind of person. I hate to see myself being horrible to people around me and I miss the person I used to be.”
Scott Cameron(Image: CPS)
Cameron initially claimed that he had not engaged in any sexual activity or communication with the victim – and even went as far as to suggest that the victim had been harassing him “under the influence of drugs”.
He later admitted the sexual activity had taken place, but claimed he thought the girl was 16, despite the fact she had stated her age in the thank you letter sent to the fire station.
He was found guilty of a string of 10 separate offences, including six counts of sexual activity with a child, sexual communication with a child, two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and meeting a child following sexual grooming.
He also pleaded guilty to a single count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity relating to another underage victim dating back to the early 2000s, when he was in his early 20s.
Kate Morley, defending, said: “He’s aware that any expression of remorse is too little too late. He knows his age and position means he had no business having any sort of relationship whatsoever with the victim and it’s something he’s determined to address.
“He has lost everything. There isn’t a soul who would have any sympathy. He has brought it all on himself. He lost his dream job in the fire service. He had a long term partner, adorable children. He was doing well and he threw it all away.
“There were underlying difficulties. Clearly it doesn’t excuse his behaviour but he had been struggling mentally and emotionally for many years following the death of his father.”
Cameron was sentenced to 12 years in prison with an extended licence period of six years in relation to the most recent set of offences. He was sentenced to 12 months in relation to the early 2000s offence, to be served consecutively.
He will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life. He was classed as dangerous offender, has been barred from working with children, issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and restraining orders for both victims.
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