LOGAN — A 27-year-old North Logan man has been sentenced to one month in jail for manipulating a 16-year-old girl into having sex with him by using “devil worship language,” according to prosecutors. Scott Preston Ferree was also ordered to complete one year of probation in addition to other restrictions after the victim’s mother called the defendant’s actions “cruel.”
Ferree was sentenced Oct. 20 in Logan’s 1st District Court. He previously pleaded “guilty with a mental condition” to forcible sexual abuse and obstructing justice, amended to second-degree felonies; along with sexual extortion and dealing in materials harmful to a minor, amended to third-degree felonies.
The plea in November 2024 came after Judge Spencer Walsh ruled that Ferree was competent to stand trial, but was suffering from a mental condition at the time of the offences. The decision was made after the defendant had been evaluated by state doctors.
In January 2021, the mother of the victim contacted the Cache County Sheriff’s Office, reporting she was concerned about text messages between her daughter and Ferree. She explained how the defendant was manipulating her daughter into having sex.
Court documents explained, the mother went on to say that Ferree had been using some type of devil worship language to manipulate her daughter into the sex acts.
When interviewed by deputies, the girl said that Ferree had instructed her to listen to “Dev” and said “Dev would text her and tell her what she needed to do to Scott,” the report detailed. “She went on to disclose that she had been instructed by this Dev on numerous occasions that she needed to” perform sex acts.
The girl explained to law enforcement, she was told that if she did not cooperate, that she and her family would be cursed, and they would pay a great price for not doing what was required of her. She stated that out of fear for her safety and the safety of her family, she would follow the instructions that were provided by Dev. She stated that most of these would come through text, either through Instagram and/or standard text messages.
A search of the girl’s phone revealed an extensive text stream between her and Dev that included graphic detail, instructing on where she was to meet Ferree, the sex acts that she was to perform and the threats if she did not comply with the instructions. They also instructed her to send naked photos of herself to the suspect. The texts took place over a period of several months in the fall of 2020.
During Monday’s sentencing, defense attorney Jeanne Campbell asked the court to spare Ferree any sentence. She explained how he has been in treatment since the age of two, and is completely dependent on his parents, who are wishing to move to Indiana.
The victim’s mother said Ferree knew what he was doing regardless of his mental condition. She explained how her daughter deserved peace and someone to stand up for the pain she had experienced.
Cache County deputy attorney Ronnie Keller agreed with Campbell that Ferree has mental health issues, but said the defendant’s egregious actions still needed to be considered.
Judge Walsh said this was a difficult decision, explaining how he had never seen a case like this. In addition to jail and probation, he prohibited Ferree from having any contact with the victim or any children, and have no access to the internet.