An Aberdeen photographer on trial accused of sex offences involving a dozen young female models has said his life has been “destroyed” by the allegations.
Simon ‘Sid’ Scott is facing a string of charges of sexual assault and indecent behaviour, many of which were alleged to have taken place at photo shoots.
The police investigation into Scott’s alleged crimes involved cybercrime officers sifting through hundreds of thousands of his photographs, with 150,000 deemed to contain eroticism or nudity.
Scott, of Sunnyside Road, Aberdeen, denies all the charges against him.
‘Losing work very, very quickly’
As he gave evidence at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, the 44-year-old described the allegations against him as a “coordinated and calculated attack on my character”.
In 2020, Scott was arrested and questioned by police following one woman making a report to police where she accused him of sexual assault.
A social media post went out in June of that year requesting any women who had experiences with Scott that they believed to be criminal to report them to police.
Defence advocate David Taylor asked him about his knowledge of the allegations at that time.
Scott said: “Clients and friends then began contacting me asking if I knew about this.
“I was losing work very, very quickly because people were saying they couldn’t work with me.
“I effectively overnight lost my business.
“My life really was destroyed.”
The photographer’s equipment was also seized during the police investigation, which he estimates was worth between £10,000 and £15,000.
“Not only was my reputation destroyed, all my camera equipment was taken by the police. After that, I wasn’t able to work as a photographer,” he said
“That period of my life is over.”
Lawyer: ‘Are you a predatory sex offender?’
Mr Taylor put it to his client that the “allegations portray you as a predatory sex offender who targets young women – is there any truth to that?”
“No,” Scott replied.
He was also questioned by Mr Taylor about allegations from three women that he demanded to put baby oil on their skin before applying glitter in order to achieve a photo effect popular at the time.
The women allege Scott then applied the baby oil and touched their private parts.
One woman, who Scott photographed at the Citizen M Hotel in Glasgow, claims he touched her vagina while lathering her in oil.
But Scott told Mr Taylor wouldn’t have personally put baby oil and glitter on their skin himself because it would’ve ruined his camera equipment.
Scott said: “It’s little bits of foil or metal that can get into my camera and ruin the lenses that cost between £600 to £1,200. At no point did I want to be touching glitter.”
The trial, before Sheriff Morag McLaughlin, continues.
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