Crime & Safety

Boy Scouts Sexual Abuse Scandal Reaches Snellville

Two Snellville cases, identified by case numbers only, were included in the reams of documents popularly known as the 'perversion files.'

There are two Snellville cases of alleged sexual abuse by Boy Scout troop leaders, both of which were filed in the 1990s.

The first, identified only as ID 383, involved troop number 553 and was filed in 1990. The second, identified as ID 2795, involved troop number 50 and was filed in 1996.

Three other nearby troops are listed:

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  • Stone Mountain: 1987, troop 118
  • Stone Mountain: 1989, troop 149
  • Lithonia: 1986, troop 338

The cases are found on a map included in documents put together by the Los Angeles Times.

The files are known as the "ineligible volunteer" files. After one Pennsylvania man admitted to "acts of perversion" with scouts, he resigned. An executive with the organization wrote the following, as first reported on NBCNews.com:

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“If it is acceptable with you, I would like to let this case drop. [He] is undergoing professional treatment in an effort to stabilize his emotional stability. He recognizes that he has had a problem and he is personally taking steps to resolve this situation. The community involved is rather unique and one father has threatened legal action which could only injure the Boy Scouts of America.

Therefore, I would suggest that we let it drop. My personal opinion in this particular case is, ‘if it don't stink, don't stir it.’"

The man was later re-admitted as a leader within the Boy Scouts organization.

For decades, the Boy Scouts of America kept the files as a way to keep volunteers suspected of inappopriate sexual behavior away from children. Many cases were not shared with parents or police.

The files became public Thursday as part of an $18.5 million settlement between the Boy Scouts and a victim.

A psychiatrist who reviewed the files and testified on the Boy Scouts' behalf in the trial that led to the release of the files, found that 60 percent of the cases were already reported in various forms of public documents, including newspaper articles and police reports. 

The Los Angeles Times has created a list of the cases by year, city, state and troop number. The newspaper's list includes the time period covered by today's release (1965 to 1985), but also other accusations and documents gathered and released in various court cases.

In some cases, the suspects were convicted of sex crimes. In others, they were only suspected.

The dates are the years a file was begun by the Boy Scouts, not necessarily the year an incident took place.


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