ANTLERS, Okla. (KFOR) - Authorities say a fugitive who faked his own death to avoid child sex charges has been arrested in an Oklahoma town.
Officials say accusations arose against Jacob Blair Scott after his stepdaughter became pregnant.
Scott was facing a 14-court indictment charging him with sexual battery, touching a child for lustful purposes, and exploitation of a child.
He was released on bond and then failed to appear for a court hearing. At that point, authorities say Scott faked his own death in order to avoid prosecution.
In July of 2018, investigators found his abandoned dinghy off the coast of Orange Beach, Alabama. Inside the vessel, investigators found a gun and a note but little evidence that actually indicated a suicide.
Detectives also learned that Scott had withdrawn $45,000 from a bank account before his disappearance.
A week-long search of the Gulf of Mexico was conducted but Scott's body was never found.
Authorities believed that Scott, a survivalist and military veteran who received a Purple Heart for his service in Iraq, would use his training to avoid detection by law enforcement agencies. They say his unique knowledge of the outdoors would enable him to live off the grid.
Recently, Scott was added to the U.S. Marshal's 'Top 15 Most Wanted' list, and a $25,000 reward was offered for tips leading to his arrest.
Officials in Pushmataha County say deputies received a tip that Scott might be hiding out in Antlers and using a false identity.
Around 11 p.m. on Wednesday, law enforcement officers with the Pushmataha County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Marshals, and the Choctaw Nation Tribal Police took Scott into custody.
