More than 100 former Boy Scout leaders who appeared in the so-called "Perversion Files" were being singled out Tuesday. The law firms of Greg Gianforcaro and Jeff Anderson & Associates named leaders in New York and New Jersey at a livestreamed press conference where sex abuse survivors were to share their stories.
More than 7,800 Boy Scouts of America leaders nationwide were accused by the lawyers of child sex abuse. Many of the former Scout leaders appeared in a sweeping Los Angeles Times database dating to October 2012 that tracked thousands of men and women who were kicked out of the organization between 1947 and January 2005 due to suspected sex abuse.
Jeff Anderson said he planned to file multiple lawsuits against the Boy Scouts on behalf of many victims.
"When we got this information, we had to sound this alarm," he said.
There are about 35 Boy Scout leaders from Connecticut who appeared in the "Perversion Files." Patch is not naming the individuals as many were not charged. The Times noted that an unknown number of files were purged by the organization before the 1990s and an unknown number of additional cases were created after 2005. The most recent Connecticut file is from 2004 and the oldest dates back to 1956. All but four of around 80 files are from before 2000.
There are more than 100,000 scouting units nationwide, the organization wrote on its website.
The Boy Scouts said in a statement to media outlets Monday night that it cares "deeply about all victims of child sex abuse" and sincerely apologizes to "anyone who was harmed during their time in Scouting." The organization stressed that it has enacted "strong youth protection policies" to prevent future abuses. This includes mandatory youth protection trainings and a formal leader-selection process that includes criminal background checks.
"We believe victims, we support them, and we have paid for unlimited counseling by a provider of their choice," the BSA said. "Nothing is more important than the safety and protection of children in Scouting, and we are outraged that there have been times when individuals took advantage of our programs to abuse innocent children."
The BSA added that it never knowingly allowed people accused of abuse to work with kids. All leaders, volunteers and staff members are required to immediately report abuse allegations to law enforcement.
The cases in the "Perversion Files" database originated from secret Scouting files submitted in court cases, The Times wrote. Specifically, the cases originated from a 1992 California lawsuit, a release order by the Oregon Supreme Court and summary data on additional files.
On Tuesday, the law firms said they'd demand identifying and background information in every BSA leader accused of child sex abuse in New Jersey and New York.
The "Perversion Files" documented horrific sex abuse allegations. In some states, Scouts were stripped naked and rubbed with ice cubes. Others were forced to have oral sex with their troop leaders and molested on camping trips, according to the report.
Patch staffers Noah Manskar, Tom Davis and Dan Hampton contributed reporting.
