A senior vice president with ExxonMobil has been temporarily suspended from his role after being arrested in Texas on a sexual assault charge.
David Scott, who lists himself on his LinkedIn profile as a senior vice president of upstream unconventional – a division the energy giant says develops "tight gas, shale gas and unconventional oil resources" – was taken into custody Thursday at a hotel in Magnolia, outside of Houston, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.
Jail records show that the married 49-year-old has posted $30,000 bail after being charged with second-degree sexual assault, a felony.
"All ExxonMobil employees, officers and directors are accountable for observing the highest standards of integrity and code of conduct in support of the Company’s business and otherwise," an ExxonMobil spokeswoman told FOX Business in a statement. "We are aware of the allegations and cannot comment on a personal matter; however, we can say that this individual will not continue work responsibilities as the investigation proceeds."
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The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from FOX Business.
Details about the nature of the allegations against Scott were not immediately available.
A worker who claimed to have watched a security video at the hotel told Reuters that a woman called police from the lobby.
In Texas, a conviction on a second-degree felony charge can result in up to 20 years in prison, with a minimum two-year sentence.
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A LinkedIn profile belonging to Scott says he has worked with ExxonMobil for nearly 27 years.
News of the arrest comes as ExxonMobil is closing in on a deal to purchase hydrocarbon exploration company Pioneer Natural Resources, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal.
Exxon's takeover of Pioneer could be worth roughly $60 billion and reshape the U.S. oil industry, according to the newspaper.
"We don’t comment on market rumors," an ExxonMobil spokesperson told FOX Business on Friday.
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Should Exxon, with its $436 billion in market value, acquire Pioneer, it would be the oil king’s largest such deal since merging with Mobil in 1999 while giving the company an improved foothold in the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico.
FOX Business’ Joe Toppe contributed to this report.
