Free Republic

Scouting America responded on Tuesday to a reported memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth seeking to cut ties with the organization, saying it was “surprised and disappointed” by the potential policy change, as the military has given its support to the Scouts since 1937. Congress requires the Pentagon to support Scouting America’s Jamboree, lending trucks, ambulances and medical teams free of charge. “The Scouting movement has had a strong relationship with our nation’s military going back more than a century,” according to the group. “From the tremendous support of the West Virginia National Guard at our National Jamborees to Scout...

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Jurors on Tuesday found the Boy Scouts of America negligent and awarded $1.4 million to a former Portland man who was abused by an assistant Scoutmaster in the early 1980s, following a three-week trial in which secret Scout "perversion files" were used as evidence. The jury also decided the Irving, Texas-based Scouts organization was liable for punitive damages that will be decided in a separate phase of the trial. That would be in addition to the $1.4 million. The Scouts denied allegations of negligence and said the files actually helped them keep child molesters out of...

Federal law enforcement officials call a Nutley man a ``dangerous predator.'' Kevin Hildreth has admitted sexually assaulting nine children and videotaping at least two having sex in the basement of a church where he was an assistant scoutmaster. The 33-year-old pleaded guilty to federal charges of crossing state lines to sexually assault a child and possession of child pornography. Hildreth was arrested in June as part of an international child porn Internet investigation. He told investigators that he had fondled or raped nine boys in the past 16 years. The victims ranged in age from four to 13. One was...