A Maricopa man charged with multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a minor has pleaded guilty and is expected to serve 15 years in prison, according to court records and a person who attended the hearing.

Lucas Alexander Scott, now 34, changed his plea to guilty yesterday in Pinal County Superior Court, where he had faced 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, each a Class 2 felony carrying a sentencing range up to 35 years.

The full court file is sealed, and it is not publicly known how many counts Scott pleaded to.

However, a person who attended the hearing told InMaricopa that Scott agreed to a 15-year prison sentence as part of the plea agreement.

Scott remained in the Pinal County jail this morning and had not yet been transferred to state custody, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections.

The plea follows more than 18 months of evidentiary hearings, oral arguments and postponed trial dates in the case. Judge Jason Holmberg presided.

The charges stem from a 2024 investigation by the Maricopa Police Department, which alleged Scott possessed hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse material on his cell phone after a tip was forwarded through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.