The U.S. Marshals Service is offering $5,000 for information on a U.S. Army veteran accused of raping and impregnating his 14-year-old stepdaughter and then faking his death to avoid charges.

The Sun Herald reports the agency is seeking information on 42-year-old Jacob Blair Scott, of Moss Point, Mississippi. Scott was indicted on sexual battery charges in 2017 and given time in June 2018 to have surgery for stage 3 ulcerative colitis before pleading guilty.

Days before the scheduled plea, an abandoned dingy was found off the coast of Orange Beach, Alabama, with a note that had Scott's social security number and said "I'm sorry." His family says he never had the surgery.

The lack of a body and forensic evidence and Scott's withdrawal of $45,000 from his retirement account raised suspicions.

___

Information from: The Sun Herald, http://www.sunherald.com