Press Release
The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announces that on Wednesday, November 16, 2016, a Bay County Circuit Jury found Scott Thomas Hicks guilty of Aggravated Child Abuse, Neglect of a Child Causing Great Bodily Harm, Leaving a Child Unattended in a Motor Vehicle Causing Great Bodily Harm and Culpable Negligence Exposing Another to Injury. The charges arose from the investigation initiated by the bailiffs at the Bay County Courthouse on September 16, 2015. When Hicks was taken into custody on other charges, he advised the bailiffs that he had left a child in his vehicle unattended. The bailiffs soon found a four year old boy in a vehicle in the parking lot. The child was seriously dehydrated and had multiple bruises on his body, with an open wound to his head and severe injury to his groin. Assistant State Attorney Christa Diviney prosecuted the case and presented evidence that the child suffered great bodily harm because of the continued willful torture and neglect. After the verdict, Judge James Fensom ordered the Defendant be held without bond and scheduled his sentencing hearing for December 2, 2016. Hicks faces a total of fifty-one years on these crimes if the Judge imposes the maximum sentence.
Please contact Chief Assistant Attorney Larry Basford at (850) 819-6985 for any questions.