A Utah man has come forward with allegations of child sexual abuse by his Cub Scout leader back in the 1990s in Syracuse, N.Y. Decades after surviving child sexual abuse committed by a man he should have been able to trust, the victim—unnamed in the lawsuit—filed his lawsuit against his former Cub Scout Pack leader Thomas Thackeray, according to local news source KSL.

Thackeray is now 72 and is currently serving prison time in an unrelated case. According to this recent lawsuit, Thackeray molested the alleged victim who filed the lawsuit, and abused other children in his pack. On top of the allegations against Thackeray, the lawsuit also names the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as the Boy Scouts of America as defendants.

Appointed Abuser

Thackeray was reportedly appointed to his position of power by his bishop. Shortly thereafter, according to the lawsuit, the plaintiff joined the Scouts and started going to meetings—which were held at Thackeray’s home.

The victim alleges that in 1991, he attempted to intervene when he saw Thackeray hitting his adoptive daughter with “punches and open hand-slaps,” according to the lawsuit. In response to the boy’s intervention, the suit claims that Thackeray took the boy into a different room and raped him.

This was not a one-time occurrence, the victim alleges, and instead continued nearly every time Thackeray was the sole adult present at the meetings. The now-adult alleges that, when he was a child attending these den meetings, Thackeray threatened to rape the child or harm the boy’s family if he told anybody about the abuse.

In 1992, the abuse abruptly stopped because— unrelatedly, as the victim found out later —Thackeray was arrested for distribution of pornography to a minor. Thackeray has also been convicted of third-degree felony stalking and dealing in materials harmful to a minor over the past decades.

Surviving child sexual abuse doesn’t bring an end to its effects. In New York, over 700 cases have been filed by adult survivors of past abuses.  According to this lawsuit, the unnamed plaintiff has been “suffering from vivid dreams and painful memories” of the abuse that took place decades ago.

The lawsuit alleges that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Boy Scouts negligently allowed Thackeray to first hold and then maintain this position of leadership and authority over these children, exposing them to this abuse, and should be held liable for this abuse alongside Thackeray.

Filing a Child Sex Abuse Lawsuit

Unfortunately, sexual abuse can take place anywhere, including in our most trusted organizations and institutions. Sexual assault and abuse litigation has been filed against a number of organizations, including the Boy Scouts of America, colleges, high schools, and more.

If you or someone you love has been a victim of childhood sexual abuse, you may be able to file a lawsuit against those responsible—including the perpetrator and any organizations that may also be liable—and pursue compensation. Of course, filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain, suffering, and trauma caused by child sex abuse, but it can at least help to provide some monetary compensation, as well as hold those responsible for your suffering accountable for their actions and inactions.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, especially after surviving child sexual abuse, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.