A young woman’s words resonated through the 11th Judicial courtroom on Monday. They were among the last remarks Scott Alan Reynolds heard before the sheriff led him away.
“You did this, Scott. You did this to me, to my family, to your family and to yourself," read Judge Jim Shirley from the Victim Impact Statement.
Lovelock showed up en masse for Reynold’s sentencing hearing.
The townspeople filled every seat in the round courtroom, bisecting it in half.
Some supported the young woman, present but anonymous in the pews. Others stood by Reynolds. His wife held their four young children close.
Judge Shirley sentenced Reynolds to 12 – 34 months in prison for the statutory sexual seduction of a minor. Reynolds will also serve up to five years probation on a suspended sentence of 12 – 34 months for luring a child.
The sentences will run concurrently.
When Reynolds gets out of prison, he’ll serve the remainder of his probation. He’ll have to abstain from alcohol and controlled substances for the rest of the term. Random urinalysis will track his compliance. An infraction could result in incarceration. He’ll register as a sex offender.
Another condition of probation will require Reynolds to stay away from girls under 21, excluding family.
The Victim Impact Statement weighed heavily in the judge’s decision to deny probation for the charge of statutory sexual seduction. He read the victim’s words out loud before announcing the sentence.
Expressionless, Reynolds stood flanked by his lawyers, David R. Fischer and Gary Modafferi. DDA Jack Bullock prosecuted the case.
The victim listened as the judge read her words. Throughout her statement, she spoke directly to Reynolds.
“You knew exactly how old I was from the very beginning, but that never stopped you,” read Judge Shirley. “I never lied about my age or told you anything but the truth about how old I was. You knew, and you didn’t care.”
In the fall of 2016, when the crimes unfolded, the victim was 15. Reynolds was 30.
DDA argues for max
DDA Bullock argued for the maximum term.
“This case screams for a prison sentence,” he said to the judge. “The state recommends that you sentence the defendant on each count to not less than 44 – 60 months, the maximum. We ask that those run consecutive to one another and that you deny probation.”
The DDA called several witnesses. Lisa Brannon, from the Division of Parole and Probation, wrote Reynold’s Presentencing Investigation Report.
Reynolds score (70) landed within the range (64-100) for a recommendation of probation. But the Division argued for a prison term.
“The victim wanted to end her life because of this incident,” said Brannon. “When she tried to end the relationship he threatened her.”
The young woman’s statement corroborated Brannon’s testimony.
“I’ll always remember the terrible things you called me, the way people blamed me and the terrible things they said about me,” she wrote. “You made my life so hard for so long.”
Brannon’s supervisor, Lieutenant James Richardson, agreed with the recommendation for prison.
“You don’t need to be a psychologist to read that statement and know she was impacted,” he said.
Next, Detective Scott Smith from the Nevada Department of Public Safety testified.
“My investigation showed a pattern of behavior by the defendant of contacting girls in the community that were much younger than himself,” he said.
Defense asks for probation
“This case has rocked this community,” said Modafferi as he and Fischer looked around the courtroom.
They gave the judge exhibits and character references from the family and community members.
“The totality of the documents shows that Mr, Reynolds is a probation-eligible candidate,” said Fischer.
The judge said he’d prepare an order showing the rationale for the sentences he imposed. He weighed both mitigating and aggravating factors, he said.
The fact that Reynold’s successfully completed probation in the past, his work history and support system mitigated his punishment. Two psychosexual evaluators ranked him as a low to moderate risk for reoffending.
The defendant’s wife fought back tears as her husband headed to prison.
As they filed back onto the street, perhaps some of the townspeople thought of the victim’s words.
“Nobody looks at me the same especially those closest to me,” she wrote. “I can never go back as I was and will never be able to live my life as I did.”
