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Friday, March 29, 2024 | Back issues
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Abuse Victim Says Scouts Failed to Protect

(CN) - A Marion County, Fla. man claims in court that the Boy Scouts of America and others failed to protect him from a twisted assistant scoutmaster who sexually molested him for years.

In a complaint filed in Marin County Circuit Court, the plaintiff, identified only as "A.A." claims that George Fout, an assistant scoutmaster with Troop 448 in Ocala, Fla., began sexually abusing him in 2002, when he was eight years old, and continued to do so through 2012, when he was just about to turn 16.

A.A. claims Fout began showering him with special attention shortly after he joined the troop, and that shortly thereafter "George Fout committed oral and anal sodomy and other acts of sexual battery" upon him.

The sexual abuse occurred at least once a month, and in a variety of locations, including the home Fout shared with his parents, including troop leader Steve Fout.

"Without limitation, A.A. would spend the night at the home of Scoutmaster Steve Fout ... During those occasions, A.A. would be abused by Assistant Scoutmaster George Fout. Steve Fout was often in the home often when the incidents of sexual battery occurred," the complaint stated.

A.A. maintains that the defendant Boy Scouts of America, North Florida Council Inc. and Silver Springs Shores Presbyterian Church, where the scout meetings were held, "... should have known of the special relationship between the Fouts and A.A. and that A.A. would leave the meetings held on its premises with Scoutmaster Steve Fout and Assistant Scoutmaster George Fout to spend time at the Fout's residence, in violation of Boy Scout policy."

A.A. seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages on multiple claims of negligence against the Boy Scouts of America and the church. The Fouts are not named as defendants.

George Fouts was arrested in February 2012, and charged with 28 counts of possession of child pornography. He has been charged with one count of capital sexual battery, two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation and two counts of sexual battery, all related to one victim.

He later told investigators he molested at least three other boys.

In November 2012, he was found guilty of one count of sexual battery and three counts of lewd and lascivious battery or molestation, and received two life sentences.

Prior to the end of that trial, Fout pleaded no contest to 27 counts of possession of child pornography and was sentenced to an additional 30 years behind bars.

A.A. is represented by Paul Sagiovanni of Morgan & Morgan P.A. in Orlando, Fla.

A representive from the Boy Scouts of America stated in an e-mail: "The behavior included in these allegations is abhorrent and runs counter to everything for which the Boy Scouts of America stands. Upon learning of the allegations we took immediate action to remove these individuals and preclude them from any further participation in the Scouting program."

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