BOY SCOUT LEADER CHARGED WITH FONDLING TROOP MEMBERS,SHOWINGN PORNOGRAPHIC PHOTOS

AP Breaking News ^ | 2 December 2002

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

TITUSVILLE, Fla. (AP) - A Boy Scout leader faces charges that he fondled at least three members of his troop and showed them gay pornographic photos, police said. Robert King, 50, was held in Brevard County Jail on $75,000 bail Sunday after police charged him with lewd and lascivious molestation and exposure of sexual organs. King, who is married, confessed that exposed himself and showed the troop members pornography, Titusville police spokesman John Lau said.

Lau said King invited at least five boys to his home on Friday under the guise of preparing to build a Christmas float. The boys ranged in age from 10 to 12. Police became involved after at least one scout's parents learned of the incident Friday evening. King was arrested Saturday and appeared in court Sunday. The Central Florida Boy Scouts Council is investigating the case, district executive Kevin Litt said. Last month, the Boy Scouts of America announced that it would require criminal background checks of new adult volunteers beginning next year.

[Travis McGee]

Don't the Scouts have a "two adult leaders at all times" policy?

(I agree with the "swimming with an engine block" badge for this creep.)

[RonF]

This is a nice thought but are you going to catch most homosexuals with a criminal check??????

The BSA does not intend to catch and exclude homosexuals from membership. The idea is to catch child molesters with a record, etc. They only exclude homosexuals if they make a public record of their sexual orientation.

[nevergore]

Yes, two leaders (or one leader and another adult) are required. The scouts have a adult leader guide called "A Guide to Safe Scouting" which is also a required course for all troop leaders and must be retaken every two years.....

The course covers recognition of abuse(incuding sexual abuse), drug & alcohol problems and other general teen problems.

The course is one of the best I've ever seen and it addresses how to appropriately handle the aformentioned problems. There is a similar video course for the scouts that is equally as good.

NeverGore

[RonF]

I am guessing that the only way to detect these deviants is as follows:

(1) Interview them carefully as regards lifestyle and have them pledge and sign a document stating that they are not homosexual and have no designs on boys.

(2) Instruct the boys that anytime a scoutmaster or leader acts sexually toward them, in the slightest fashion, they are to report it immediately.

(3) Have each scoutmaster agree by contract, in advance, to the civil penalties they will incur (e.g., big-time $$) in addition to criminal prosecution should they so much as fondle a boy.

While well-meaning, and while #2 especially is very important (and the BSA has a video called "A Time To Tell" that instructs this), this could have been prevented if the adults involved would just stand up to their obligations.

Every unit has a sponsor (VFW, Lions Club, American Legion Post, church, etc.). The sponsor is supposed to interview and evaluate every single person that volunteers for leadership. While that might not have caught this guy, it would catch some.

The sponsor is also supposed to appoint a unit committee. The unit committee's job, among other things, is to supervise the adult leaders (Scoutmaster, etc.) and make sure that they are a) doing their jobs, and b) following BSA policies. That means that the members of the unit committee, usually parents of Scouts and/or ex-leaders whose son's have aged out of the program, should be going on unit outings and should be questioning both the Scouts (during Boards of Review) and leaders (during unit committee meetings) to see if everything's on the up and up.

They should be making sure that Youth Protection policies are being followed. That would have stopped this, since both Youth Protection and Two-Deep Leadership principles require that two leaders be present at all unit functions at all times (unless you have multiple leaders colluding in such activities, which is quite rare).

The committee should also be making sure that parents show up at activities to participate. The BSA doesn't exist to give you a chance to let someone else raise your kid. Both Scouts and their parents are supposed to participate in Scouting. And occurrences such as this is one of the reasons why.

My point being that there are structures and policies that, if followed, are quite reliable in preventing such evil things. But it seems that occasionally, there are parents who can't be bothered to learn about and follow them.

[RonF]

The Guide To Safe Scouting (G2SS) is the safety manual that every Scouter should read to understand what the BSA's safety policies are, and what is and is not allowed in the Scouting program. The course covering recognition of abuse, etc., is called Youth Protection. The BSA requires every meeting and outing to have at least one registered Scouter present who has taken the course. In my Council, every Scouter must take the course at least once every 3 years, and at least once every 2 years if he or she is accompanying the unit to Summer Camp. The Council conducts the course many times during the year, including at Summer Camp.

[RonF]

Please see my post 64; I meant to send it to you but mispelled your screen name.

[technochick99]

I'd guess his wife KNEW he was a homosexual, but decided to overlook it for whatever reason.

Why would you assume that? Just because you live with someone doesn't mean they can't fool you completely. And, the move from thoughts to action might have started recently.

[Squantos]

Come on Ron how could you possibly misspell a moniker like "MeneMeneTekelUpharsin" ......:o)

Stay Safe Ya'll.........Eagle Scout BTTT (May 70)

[RonF]

I thought it was "Upsharin", not "Upharsin". Apparently my Akkadian grammar isn't what it was... >(;-)

[On the Road to Serfdom]

I know the public schools won't let you choose your teacher (for obvious reasons)

What are the obvious reasons? It works in college.

[EdReform]

BTTT for later...

[sweetliberty]

Oh, but a homosexual scout leader would be above that sort of thing. Just because they may be pedophiles and happen to be around young boys doesn't mean that they would molest them. He was probably acting out in frustration over having to repress his unnatural urges and he would never have had to act out in this way had he been "able" to openly express his homosexuality, so it really isn't his fault. It is the fault of the Boy Scouts for having such an antiquated rule and the Supreme Court's fault for upholding it.< /sarcasm >

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

and let the squirrels feed on the rotting carcass.

You must have some nasty ass squirrels up where you live.

[sweetliberty]

I thought this article might interest you.

[MattAMiller]

What an incredibly sad statement about our society today. People have been joking about preists and scout masters for a long, long time. This has always happened. The only thing new is that people now do something about it.

[FourPeas]

Why would you assume that?

I'd guess not assume that because of past experience as outlined in the original post. Acknowledging that the plural of anecdote is not data, I've run into it several other times. Friends who strongly believed that their boyfriends were homosexual, but didn't want to believe it, only to receive specific proof sometime later. That's why I guessed that his wife probably already knew. Apparently some women don't think of it as cheating on them if it's done with another guy.

Just because you live with someone doesn't mean they can't fool you completely.

Again, this is only a guess, but I'd say this guy wasn't too smart. His crime had a very good chance of getting him in some deep trouble. To be bright enough to hide such inclinations would imply that he'd be bright enough not to do something so stupid.

[technochick99]

Apparently some women don't think of it as cheating on them if it's done with another guy.

As the definition of sex gets more narrow with each passing year, huh? Good grief.

[Sweet Hour of Prayer]

"What are the obvious reasons? It works in college."

Yes, it does work in private institutions, or any school that allows "supply and demand" facts to determine staffing. Teachers with unpopular viewpoints, nasty temperaments, lazy, rude, lacking in knowledge, etc., would eventually have no students.

In the public arenas, students are assigned the required classes and teacher choice is very limited if there is any choice at all. Limiting teacher options, camouflages poorly performing teachers as their classes are always full (not reflecting how students or parents view the teacher) because the administration keeps it that way. If they didn't, it's possible that an entire class of high school sophmores would refuse to take biology from a radical lesbian, preferring a straight person offering the same course at a different time. (This was an issue when my 22 year old daughter was in high school) The public school administration isn't even going to allow that option/choice to be discussed.

I'm hopeful, the newly imposed SOLs (standards of learning) will nail non-performing teachers, at least at the elementary level.

[Travis McGee]

Now if I can just get my church to adopt a similar guide!

[freedumb2003]

This is a right of association issue. If someone wants to have a different set of standards and pray to Murray or the 7th god from alpha centari and propote communal living -- LET EM! They can start their own danged group

But don't force these down the throat of one of the finest institutions in the USA.

God, this is like Augusta.

Liberals hate for anyone to do what they individually want to do unless it is on the liberal PC list!

As an aside, I had a Buick Wildcat with a 492" engine that would be a great block for that merit badge!