Man gets 9 years for drugging girl

A registered sex offender who drugged a 9-year-old girl was sentenced Monday to nine years in prison.

Scotty J. Bailey, 36, will serve at least two years in prison before he’s eligible for parole. The Coeur d’Alene man was originally charged in November 2006 with using the drug Halothane on the girl and an additional felony charge of lewd conduct.

Though prosecutors dropped the lewd conduct charge, Kootenai County Prosecutor Bill Douglas said he believes Bailey had an “ulterior motive” when he drugged the child.

First District Judge Fred Gibler agreed, describing Bailey as a “danger to society.”

The judge said Bailey’s explanation for the crime “makes no sense.”

He told police that he waved a cloth soaked with the chemical in front of the girl’s face because “she wanted to know what it smelled like.”

Defense attorney Edward Lawlor said Bailey “feels awful” for exposing the girl to the drug and didn’t mean to cause her harm.

Bailey was on probation for a child pornography charge out of Minnesota when he was arrested by Coeur d’Alene police in November for crimes against the girl.

Bailey declined to speak on his own behalf at Monday’s hearing.