Bakersfield Radio: News Reporter Scott Thackrey Busted

Scott Thackrey

KUZZ 550 AM / 107. 9 FM radio reporter Scott Thackrey allegedly initiated sexually explicit conversations online and sent a nude photo of himself to a police decoy he believed was a 13-year-old girl, according to court filings released Wednesday.

The 47-year-old had previously made inappropriate comments on Facebook to two underage girls, the filings say. Thackrey was arrested July 29 after showing up at a pre-planned location to meet someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl with whom he had discussed the possibility of engaging in oral sex.

According to Bakersfield.com, Thackrey is charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor and faces a stint in prison and lifetime sex offender registration if convicted.

The reports filed by Bakersfield police say officers began investigating Thackrey after receiving a complaint from the mother of a 13-year-old girl that Thackrey made inappropriate comments to her daughter on Facebook.

Thackrey at first began asking the girl questions about “Cosplay,” also known as “costume play,” in which people dress up as science fiction, fantasy and anime characters. Thackrey and the girl had briefly met at a Cosplay convention in Bakersfield.

But the reports say Thackrey soon began leading the conversation in a different direction. He asked the girl if she was a flirt, and if she was a “quiet and submissive” girl.

He instructed her to answer each of his questions with a “yes sir” or “no sir,” according to the court filings. Then he asked if her heart was racing or if she was experiencing other physical reactions as a result of their communication.

The girl eventually told Thackrey she was 13 and in the 8th grade, the reports say. He continued to communicate with her, and told her not to tell anyone about their conversation.