When a criminal case is discussed in the media, people can form opinions about the accused. This can lead to that person having a difficult time getting fair criminal proceedings. If people become even loosely associated with criminal activity, it can ruin their reputation within their communities and jeopardize future employment opportunities. Furthermore, accusations of criminal activity by others can lead to criminal investigations by local or federal authorities.
Recently, the Oregon Supreme Court authorized the release of files kept by the Boy Scouts of America. These files supposedly contain the names of 1,247 individuals who were suspected of wrongful sexual activities with Boy Scouts. Until their release, these files had never been made public.
The files themselves are more than 20,000 pages long and include allegations of incidents from 1965 to 1985. These files allegedly contain details about instances where leaders are suspected of committing child sex abuse. Furthermore, these files outline the steps taken by Boy Scouts of America to try to keep these individuals away from boys in the future. However, in only two-thirds of the cases did law enforcement authorities become involved.
Now that these files have been released, the names of people who may not have actually done anything wrong have been made public for everyone to see. These people could face unfair judgment by their communities for activity that may or may not have happened 20 or more years ago. These files may also lead to increased criminal charges as police, parents and alleged victims move to prosecute those listed.
Those who are listed in the Boy Scout files should consider their criminal defense options if they find themselves subject to an investigation because of this release. By aggressively defending themselves against these charges from the beginning they may be able to mitigate some of the damage the release of their names has caused.
Source: Reuters, "Boy Scout files reveal long history of child sex abuse cases," Chris Francescani and Teresa Carson, Oct. 18, 2012
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