31 accusers sue Meck County Boy Scouts over alleged sex abuse while they were minors

MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — Three lawsuits filed on behalf of 31 former members of the Mecklenburg County Council of Boy Scouts of America allege sexual abuse by men within the organization.

One lawsuit alleges the victim was abused by a Scout leader. Mecklenburg County’s BSA knew or should have known he posed a danger to the victim and other children but the organization didn’t take any steps to prevent it, the victim said. Because of that, the Scout leader was allegedly able to use his position to sexually abuse the victim.

The victim said he was allegedly sexually assaulted when he was 13 or 14 years old from approximately 1981 through 1982. The plaintiff said the Scout Leader used his position of trust and authority to groom him and to sexually abuse him multiple times. The assaults happened in the Scout Leader’s car, at meetings, and in other environments the Scout Leader controlled, the victim said.

In the second lawsuit, 29 plaintiffs alleged sexual abuse from Mecklenburg County’s BSA when the victims were minors. The allegations ranged from the years 1950 to 2007 and the victims said they were sexually assaulted by men who were Scout Leaders, youth Scout Leaders and/or a Boy Scout camp personnel members. The plaintiffs said their abusers all used their positions of power to coerce them.

In the third lawsuit, the plaintiff said in 1992, he was allegedly sexually abused by two adult Scout Leaders.

All plaintiffs in all three lawsuits were minors at the time of their alleged abuse.

“From the top down, BSA Local Council had known for decades that sexual predators had infiltrated scouting, and desired positions around children, due in part to their sexual interest in children,” the second lawsuit read.

Channel 9 has reached out to the Mecklenburg County Council of Boy Scouts of America for comment and has not yet received a reply.

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