David Eugene Scott, the 63-year-old North Miami Beach Deputy City Manager, was arrested on multiple child pornography charges following an investigation by Miami's Special Victims Unit, according to a report by WSVN. Investigators, who searched Scott's home, seized electronic devices that contained images and videos of child pornography. Scott now faces 15 counts of sexual performance by a child.
The investigation into Scott began in 2023 after Synchronoss, a cloud storage service, identified and flagged 31 files of child abuse material uploaded to his account amidst personal photos. According to a report obtained by Local 10, the illicit files on his phone described graphic acts of rape and abuse, with victims as young as approximately 2 years old.
Following his arrest, North Miami Beach released a statement detailing that City Manager Mario Diaz had terminated Scott's employment upon reviewing the arrest report from Miami PD. "Our Special Victims Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit conducted an investigation that has led to the arrest of an individual who happens to sit at the highest level of a local municipal government," said Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales in a statement quoted by NBC Miami. "This is highly disappointing, especially given their role of trust and the fact that the victims are children—one of our most vulnerable populations."
Miami-Dade County State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle expressed her dismay at the charges against such a high-ranking official. "I am shocked and disappointed to learn that a senior governmental official would be charged with the possession of child pornography," she said in a statement obtained by NBC Miami. "As State Attorney, I know that our law enforcement community and my prosecutors are committed on ensuring that no child suffers the denigration, exploitation, and abuse at the core of every child pornography arrest."
A city spokesperson noted that while North Miami Beach had not been asked for assistance or information, they would fully cooperate with any investigative requests. At the conclusion of the arrest, Scott was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, with no bond set as of Wednesday evening, as per information from Local 10.
