TWO SENTENCED FOR ASSAULT ON NEZ PERCE WOMAN

Two men have been sentenced in connection with the abduction of a woman on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation in April 2005. The woman was bound, gagged and forced to engage in sexual acts in the abductors’ RV before she escaped and sought refuge in a Whitebird café.

Arnold Earl Scott, 54, a transient whose last known address was in Spokane, was sentenced in U.S. District Court on Tuesday to 135 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release following his incarceration, and a $2,000 fine. Scott, who pled guilty to Sexual Assault, admitted binding and gagging the woman, placing her in fear, and forcing her into sexual acts. He had no prior criminal record. He will be required to register as a sex offender following his release.

Scott’s co-defendant, Gerald Lynn Bainbridge, pled guilty to Assault with Intent to Kidnap. He admitted using force against the victim, causing her to fear immediate bodily harm, with the specific intent to kidnap her. Bainbridge’s attorney noted his client’s low mental functioning and lesser culpability than Scott. Bainbridge was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because it occurred on a recognized Indian reservation and involved an Indian victim.