Boy Scouts of America “Perversion Files” Released

The long-awaited files documenting decades of sexual abuse within the Boy Scouts of America (“BSA”) have finally been released. The BSA began maintaining these files, widely known as the “Perversion Files,” in 1910, apparently in an effort to avoid re-hiring scout masters who had previously been accused of sexually molesting boy scouts. The files currently being released date back to 1959, and are composed of nearly fifteen thousand pages. The files contain substantiated allegations of sexual abuse, but law enforcement officials were rarely, if ever, notified of the molestation.

The BSA has promised to search the files and report any verified complaints to law enforcement – though law enforcement has stated that cases from such a long time ago are often outside of the statute of limitations, and therefore there is little that the police or district attorneys can do.

To see the full story go to: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/10/20/boy-scout-abuse-files/1646033/