MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A 40-year-old man has filed a lawsuit against Boy Scouts of America, Inc., claiming he was abused by two scout leaders in the mid-1980s at various locations around South Florida.
The man, who wishes to be identified as GE DOE, is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the emotional and psychological injuries he sustained due to the sexual abuse.
The suit alleges GE DOE was molested by the scout leaders during scouting events and at other places, such as the men's homes. GE DOE was among many other young boys who were also being sexually abused by the scout leaders, according to the complaint.
"At (scout leader's) house, (the men) encouraged members of the Boy Scout troop to skinny dip, run around naked, and bathe in a jacuzzi naked," the complaint said.
According to the complaint, the scout leaders would inappropriately touch the boys, serve them alcohol and have them watch pornography with them.
The suit claims GE DOE was particularly vulnerable to the two men because his parents had divorced and he didn't have a father-figure in his life.
"The Boy Scouts fraudulently misrepresented to its youth members that (the scout leaders) were safe and qualified to supervise and befriend youth involved in the Boy Scouts, when in fact the Boy Scouts knew of (the scout leaders') unlawful sexual propensities," the complaint said.
The Boy Scouts have been the subject of countless sexual abuse lawsuits around the country in recent years. In 2012, the organization's so-called "Perversion Files" revealed more than 1,200 files on suspected and convicted pedophiles. The Boy Scouts had kept the files secret until a judge ordered the files to be made public.
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