Boy Scout Abuse Lists of 1,200 Suspected Child Abusers
Forty-five people from Massachusetts are listed in the secret “perversion files” maintained by the Boy Scouts of America that were released last Thursday by an Oregon legal team under an order from the Oregon Supreme Court.
The hometowns of Massachusetts residents listed in the Scouts’ ineligible volunteer files were spread across the state, from South Boston to Pittsfield. The files contained 44 names and one person listed as unknown.
The files listed approximately 1,200 alleged child molesters from across the country who were accused of abuse between 1965 and 1985, Clark said on his website. The alleged abusers were barred from serving with the Scouts.
Here's one on the list of names that were confirmed through The Globe:
Donn W. Kruger is from Massachusetts.
When lived in Pepperell in 1980, he joined a troop in that town and resigned in December 1982, according to his file.
He was convicted that month of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14, according to the database of the State Sex Offender Registry Board.
“The person involved has not been involved in Scouting since the incident and has indeed kept a very low profile,” a Scout official wrote of Kruger in a 1985 memo, which was included in his file. The official also wrote that the victim was not a Scout.
Kruger, now 70, was convicted on similar charges in 1998 and 2005 and is currently incarcerated, according to the state database.Other men named in the files could not be reached for comment Thursday night, and the Globe is not naming anyone it could not confirm has been criminally charged. Some names were listed on the state offender database, but it could not be confirmed that they were the same people.
One law firm lists many of the said names of alleged sex abuse suspects form the Boy Scouts of America on their website.
The files were introduced in a 2010 Oregon civil suit that the Scouts lost, and the Oregon Supreme Court ruled the files should be made public. Lawyer Kelly Clark of Portland posted the files online Thursday after the Scouts had fought against their publication in the courts, he said on his website.
Here's another name from the list and his story:
Another Bay State case made public was that of an Ayer man (remaining nameless) who, while volunteering with a troop in that town in the 1970s, “engaged in sexual acts” with a 12-year-old Scout, said an entry in the man’s file.
One entry in his file states that he “has admitted to a morals offense against one of our scouts.”
“The family, including the scout, fortunately have decided not to prosecute,” the file says.Here's one more sex abuse suspect and his story on file:
In addition, a former Catholic seminary student from Dorchester who admitted to sexually assaulting an 11-year-old Scout at Thompson’s Island in 1969 was listed with the names released, according to his file.
He also admitted to committing lewd acts in front of scouts at various time during troop meetings, the filing states. The man received a suspended prison sentence for his actions and was later treated by a therapist, he wrote in a letter to scout officials asking to be admitted to a South Boston troop. That request was denied.
“I admit I did something terribly wrong, and never have denied that fact,” the man wrote in his letter. “But through therapy, I was able to see the underlying causes. … I can assure you there is no further problem and can document this. How many other Scoutmasters can?”Thomas Nut-Powell was a scout from 1955-1961 in State College, Penn., who now lives in Brookline. He said he was never aware of any abuse or cover-ups, but he sent back his Eagle Scout award over the Scouts’ policy of not admitting gays.
“How is it that people so give in to this lust that they go to a place where good things are supposed to happen and make it bad?” he said.The Associated Press reported that the 14,500 pages of the files showed that decade after decade, an array of authorities — police chiefs, prosecutors, pastors, and local Boy Scout leaders among them — shielded scoutmasters and others accused of molesting children.
“Where those involved in Scouting failed to protect, or worse, inflicted harm on children, we extend our deepest apologies to victims and their families.”
The Boy Scouts added that the organization is now “a leader” among youth organizations in terms of protecting children from abuse.
After decades of secret abuse, NOW they want to lead the way on protecting children from abuse!! Absolutely, shameful!
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