Former juvenile officer from Hannibal pleads guilty to engaging in illegal sex acts with 15-year-old girl

ST. LOUIS — A former longtime deputy juvenile officer for the 10th Judicial Circuit Court — which covers Marion, Ralls and Monroe counties in Missouri — has admitted to picking up a 15-year-old juvenile girl living in an Illinois group home and engaging in illegal sex acts with her.

Scott F. Burow, 62, was set to go on trial Nov. 7. He was charged with one count of sex trafficking of a minor. However, he pleaded guilty Monday in front of U.S. District Court Judge Audrey G. Fleissig to a felony charge of transportation of a minor across state lines to engage in prohibited sexual conduct.

He could face up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced Feb. 3.

Burow admitted picking up the girl on April 2, 2020, from a public park near the group home, taking her to his home in Hannibal and secretly recording the sex acts. He then dropped her off at a motel in Palmyra, Mo., with little but the clothes on her back. She flagged down a passing police officer for help.

The girl was a ward of the state at the time, living in a facility supporting children struggling with issues related to attachment and developmental trauma.

The two had met on an online dating site, with Burow using the name “buffalonchovie.” Burow then negotiated with her and agreed to pay her $100 for sex, his plea agreement says. Burow also demanded she that send him a nude image to ensure that she was not an undercover law enforcement officer or working with police.

A document from Burow’s indictment alleged a search of his home on August 20, 2020, yielded “numerous explicit photos and videos of women” that appeared to have been recorded by Burow.

As part of his plea, Burow also agreed to forfeit items seized by law enforcement during the investigation, including computers, cell phones, storage devices and a camera.

The case was investigated by the Palmyra Police Department, the Hannibal Police Department and the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.