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Former Wilmington mayoral candidate Devon Scott pleads guilty in sexual assault case

WHQR | By WECT Staff

Published April 13, 2023 at 3:49 PM EDT

Devon Michael Scott ran against sitting Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo in 2019, ending in a narrow victory for Saffo.

In 2019, Scott came within four points of unseating incumbent Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo. He went on to play a prominent role in the social justice protests following the murder of George Floyd. He confessed to the 2015 sexual assault of his wife in an interview and was later arrested.

Devon Scott, a former Wilmington mayoral candidate and local activist, pleaded guilty in New Hanover County Superior Court in relation to the 2015 sexual assault of his wife.

As a result, Scott is to be on supervised probation for 18 months, complete community service, make no contact with the victim except for arrangements to see his child, and be registered as a sex offender for 30 years.

According to the Wilmington Police Department, Scott had previously been charged with second-degree sexual offense for sexually assaulting his wife in May of 2015. He was arrested in 2020 after confessing to "rape" in an interview with WECT and Port City Daily.