Posted on 06/25/2012 11:27:26 AM PDT by kevcol
Officers arrested a 20-year-old Boy Scout leader at his Shingletown home Thursday for allegedly sexually assaulting a 13-year-old at the Butte Meadows Scout camp over the last two years.
Dustin Hedrick was booked into the Butte County Jail in Oroville on suspicion of six counts of forcible lewd acts on a child younger than 14 and one count of electronic communication with a 16-year-old with intent to commit sexual acts. His bail was set at $465,000.
Butte County sheriff's deputies served a search warrant at Hedrick's home Thursday and arrested him. Investigators are still reviewing evidence that is mostly electronic, Sgt. Jason Hail said.
The Sheriff's Office started an investigation in May into allegations of sexual abuse at Camp Lassen in Butte Meadows, Hail said.
Hedrick is the assistant scout master for Troop 40 out of Redding, Hail said.
Scout executive Jim Martin of the Golden Empire Council of Boy Scouts of America in Sacramento said based on investigators' information, Hedrick has been removed from scouting.
"It's an outrageous crime against kids, people, and it's simply not tolerated," Martin said.
Hedrick earned his Eagle Scout in 2009, according to his Facebook page. That's the highest rank attainable in Boy Scouts.
The National Boy Scouts Council would have to take action to strip someone of their Eagle Scout status, Martin said.
"The alleged behavior of the individual arrested runs counter to the values and ideals of the Boy Scouts of America, its volunteers, members and professionals," Martin said.
"The BSA works to protect children through a comprehensive program of education, chartered organization leader selection procedures, criminal background and other checks, barriers to abuse and prompt mandatory reporting."
Hedrick is likely to be arraigned on Monday.
The Sheriff's Office asks that anyone with information on the case contact detective Jason Miller at 538-7671.
"It's tragic," Hail said. "It's a very sad case."
I guess the “e” in Butte is silent, then?
My Scout troop was AT Camp Lassen 3 & 4 years ago. To see the facility degraded by this occurrence sickens me. This just reenforces my belief that BSA needs to keep it’s fences up concerning gay scouts.
I’ve got a rather large group going down to Catalina in a few weeks. We require EVERY adult to take the BSA Youth Protection training. However - someone can take the training and still violate it easily. I don’t know any real way around that beyond even more discussion with the youth members to highlight that what they should do if they encounter this behavior.
I’m open to suggestion here!
“Butte Meadows Camp sounds like a sequel to Bake Broke Mountain.”
..or “Reach Around Ridge”.
To everyone here who is worried about the scouts caving: How much have YOU done to help them out?
I mean, the kids are BROKE! They can’t go anywhere or do anything. And they are looking like they are in this fight alone.
Its one thing to sit and b!tch about what is being done to them, its another thing to help them out and turn the tide.
AND THAT’S REAL EASY.
Fund raise for them like there is no tomorrow. If you belong to a Legion or VFW post, an Eagles or even a Shriners lodge, hold at least one fund raiser a year.
Any group, 501-C-3 or otherwise, adopt a troop.
All you bikers looking for a “good” cause, this is THEE ONE! Adopt a troop. Make sure they can go to their camporee or whatever they call them.
We bikers have this penchant for supporting the medical community that turns right around and lobbies against us, all the time. Trust me, you reach out to a local scout troop, you will find an open door, and those kids will most likely grow up to be freedom fighters themselves. And their parents probably won’t lobby against you on issues that concern us.
Its time to show the queer nation that they are ONLY 2%! We are the MAJORITY and its time we started acting like it and taking care of our own kids.
/R>
If he’s 20 now and the abuse has gone on for at least two years, he was probably trolling for sex partners when he was still a minor himself. It’s hard to fight this in a society that thinks sex between minors is just good clean fun, instead of immoral and destructive.
The Scout Oath includes “morally straight,” and that does not include sex outside marriage.
“I’m open to suggestion here!”
How about a new Merit Badge for any scout that castrates a perverted Scout Leader?
How about something serious! Really!
I’ve been to that camp - didn’t know my scouts where at risk! I want to protect them in any systematic way possible. Castrating the Scout leaders doesn’t sound like a viable plan - OUCH!
You need to educate your sons, in graphic detail, about what a homosexual adult or another boy might do to them, or try to get them to do. Yes, it is gross. I don’t like having to talk to my sons about oral and anal sex, exhibitionism, intimate groping, and everything else that might be an issue, but there is no choice.
I am serious.
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