An alleged sexual molestation victim has filed a federal lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America, claiming the organization failed to protect him.

Although the events in question allegedly happened in the early 1970s, the plaintiff is able to bring his case before the court thanks to recent legislation in New York that reportedly provides a one-year window for plaintiffs who were sexually abused and/or assaulted as children to file complaints against the perpetrators, regardless of previous statutes of limitations.

Ronald’s Story

The plaintiff, Ronald H., was 12 years of age when he joined Boy Scout Troop 351 in 1972. He claims that scoutmaster Carlos Acevedo began molesting him while on a camping excursion. According to the complaint, Acevedo was actually “grooming” him for purposes of prostitution, starting when he was 13.

Ronald was the youngest of 21 children, who had been virtually on their own since the death of their father in 1966 and their mother’s psychological breakdown not long after. In retrospect, the plaintiff believes that Acevedo took advantage of his vulnerability. Acevedo is currently serving a life sentence in a Florida penitentiary for the statutory rape of a minor and possession of child pornography.

The complaint also names a second scoutmaster, Gordon Bennett, as a defendant, who allegedly engaged in molestation with another boy. According to Ronald, Bennett’s activities were known, but the BSA failed to remove him from his position, allowing him to continue leading the troop.

A Long and Hidden History of Molestation

Ronald is only the latest of dozens of former Boy Scouts who have filed lawsuits against the organization over allegations of sexual assault and molestation. According to former Chief Scout Executive James “J.L.” Tarr, a professional Scouter for over four decades, “[Sexual assault] has been an issue since the Boy Scouts began.”

According to a story published in Time magazine last year, well over 12,000 boys suffered sexual abuse at the hands of at least 7,800 suspected scoutmasters and other volunteers between 1944 and 2016. However, the article also states that these numbers may be a “gross underestimate,” according to experts who have studied the issue.

Since 1919, the Boy Scouts have kept records known as the “Perversion Files,” a blacklist that was intended to serve as a first line of defense against those who would prey on young people. BSA officials claim these files have helped in keeping sexual predators from serving as scoutmasters and volunteers.

It hasn’t been enough, according to reports. An investigation by the Los Angeles Times examined over 1,200 files from over two decades. Between 1970 and 1991, they found at least 125 cases in which accused child molesters managed to get back into the program by a number of methods, including:

• providing false personal information
• bypassing the registration process
• moving to another troop (enabled by errors in recordkeeping and failure to cross-check names against the blacklist)

In a number of cases, Boy Scout officials reportedly failed to investigate or document abuse allegations, or put suspected offenders “on probation” while allowing them to continue working with boys.

Helping Survivors

Ronald is hoping that his story will help other victims of molestation and abuse, and let them know that they are not alone.

The Sexual Molestation Lawsuit is Case 1:20-cv-00315, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York.

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