Asst. Boy Scout troop leader, 18, indicted on sodomy charges
OREGON CITY, Ore. - An 18-year-old former Boy Scout and assistant troop leader appeared in court Friday accused of sexually abusing fellow scouts.
Jacob Wittren, 18, was arrested two weeks ago and Clackamas County court documents show he is accused of sexually assaulting three 12-year-old boys in 2010 when he was an assistant troop leader in Oregon.
According to indictment documents, Wittren is charged with five counts of second-degree sodomy. The Boy Scouts' Cascade Pacific Council has not identified which troop Wittren worked with.
Wittren pleaded not guilty to the charges Friday.
A statement from the Boy Scouts said Wittren was removed from scouting as soon as leaders heard about the allegations.
"The abuse of anyone, especially a child, is intolerable and our thoughts and prayers go out to anyone who may be a victim of this type of behavior," said Scout Executive Matthew Devore in a statement.
Wittren is in jail on a $250,000 bond. He’s ordered not to have any contact with the three boys he's accused of abusing.
Secret Boy Scout documents released last month revealed a decades-long cover up regarding scoutmasters and others who allegedly molested children.
The files from 1965 to 1985 showed police, prosecutors and religious leaders quietly shielded scout leaders.
The files pointed out cases where accused pedophiles were kept out of scouting leadership positions, but about a third of the time, police were not told about possible abuse cases. And attempts to protect scouts from alleged molesters broke down at the local level.
Scout Executive Matthew Devore sent out the following statement Thursday:
The abuse of anyone, especially a child, is intolerable and our thoughts and prayers go out to anyone who may be a victim of this type of behavior.
The Cascade Pacific Council, Boy Scouts of America was recently made aware of allegations of inappropriate behavior against a former member. The behavior included in these allegations runs counter to everything for which the Boy Scouts of America stands. Upon learning of these allegations we immediately removed this individual from Scouting.
I personally met with parents from the Troop to offer support and am cooperating fully with law enforcement.
The BSA seeks to prevent child abuse through a comprehensive program of education, chartered organization leader selection procedures, criminal background and other checks, barriers to abuse and prompt mandatory reporting. Because these allegations are currently under investigation, further questions should be directed to other local authorities such as law enforcement.
So, question here....I don't believe I read anything that BS of America reported the abuse to the authorities. I am glad to see that in their lawyer-approved statement that the local Cascade Pacific Council will "cooperate" with law enforcement. With regards to the offender, I hope he is appropriately sentenced on each charge with the sentencing running consecutively, not concurrently. And while there could always be some question about 16 or 17 or 18 year olds being able to give consent, a 12 year old is not able to give consent!!!!
What a sicko they should not only throw the book at this scumbag but several at him. AÂ child molester that gets a job or volunteers somewhere with children always around should never be allowed to walk free again!
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The BSA like the Catholic Church has been protecting pedophiles for years while maintaining a strictly homophobic public profile. Anywhere there is blatant public homophobia there is an underlying hypocrisy. Look at all the Republican and Religious hypocrites that have been exposed in the past 20 years.
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Although I like the notion of the Boy Scouts I cannot support an organization that does not have the American value of equality as its underlying core value. Scouting should be for everyone boys, girls and the troops should be integrated with women in the leadership roles and management.
The Catholic Church continued to employ offenders and moved them from one community to another. The BSA would kick them out of the organization and keep a file on them. Not all cases were reported to the police and not all suspicions were prosecutable. Remember; There was no mandatory reporting law back then and LE was not all that good at investigating sex abuse in the 60's. It was a "new" type of crime and they were just beginning to explore the iceberg. BSA was definatly doing more than the church was.
 @Icarus Normally I agree with you, but naaaaaa. The young males have Cub Scouts and then Boy Scouts. Young females have Brownies and the Girl Scouts and integrating them would be more than local LEO's could handle when sue happy parents get involved along with starving attorneys...
WHY is this sick behavior still happening, in light of all the cases and the lawsuits???!! I want to know what is the organization BSA doing to PREVENT this from happening again. Â Isn't it time that it stopped?? How about NEVER leave a single leader alone with the kids??Â
@Baffled In spite of what Icarus rants, you can go online with BSA and see for yourself they take this seriously. Two-tier leadership is the rule in scouting. Training is provided in the handbook for parents and kids to discuss this topic, at home. See the video, "It Happened To Me",produced by the BSA. All adult leaders are mandated to train and update instruction on Child Protection. They have done more than most youth sport teams, youth groups, day care providers AND parents.
 @BaffledÂ
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Because the "Boy Scouts" is a sick organization like any that abuses a particular minority.
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Consider the extra power of control that a person would exert over a sexual victim when the social culture had condemned that those acts/behaviors. This would haunt the victim for years and would be a source of shame as long as they were under the control of that social environment because they would have to hide the truth or be shunned.
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Although those acts are not inherently wrong whether practiced by consenting adults or experimenting children the real damage is the environment that condemns that behavior and shames the individual. When a predator uses power to coerce a victim, regardless of age, and then relies upon the social environment to shame the victim that is the greatest crime and the social environment that condemns sexuality becomes a co-conspirator in the crime.
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This is the case with BSA...they have created an environment where predators have easy access to victims and BSA perpetuates an environment where homosexuality is shamed.
Give it a rest.  Rememger Willie Sutton's quote on why he robbed banks?  Pedophiles gravitate to sports activities, teaching careers, teachers aides, church youth groups, scouts, and the like. That's where the kids are.
WHat a horrible thing. I am involved in scouts with my boys and our pack strictly follows the policies that are in place to prevent this kind crime aginst kids.
In this case, the adult leaders that were supposed to be supervising obviously did not take thier jobs seriously.
 @localperspective And you know that you're preventing this how? Unless you are handcuffing their hands, or padlocking their sleeping bags, there is still a chance that some level of mishavior will occur. If you don't think so, you're only fooling yourself.
Time for a new merit badge; what shall we call it, and what should the symbol be? No, it can't be for tolerance. This club is too exclusive for that. They don't allow gays or atheists, but they do allow child molesters. Kinda like the church.
 @Chester White Absolutely right on. The most "moral" among us tend to include the most perverse. I wouldn't be a bit surprised of the perpetrator in this case had been abused by his own scout leader.
 @Chester White I guess the only true career for child molesters is working for the TSA. The church (any church) will eventually kick them out.
 @Jamie Naaa, they can go to work in children's ballet, martial arts, the YMCA & YWCA, any children's counseling, Boys & Girls Aid Society or just about anywhere. I have seen it all...
Oh Dear Mother Nature, wait until the sickos in prison get ahold of this fresh white piece.Â
 @BREAKING NEWS !!! Aren't all the references to prison rape getting a bit tiresome? And if it is truly justice that we seek, why would we advocate the crime of prison rape?
I for one am shocked.....*sarc*
"The files from 1965 to 1985 showed police, prosecutors and religious leaders quietly shielded scout leaders."
(from the story)
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This is totally sickening. Â Â As if the abuse of all these kids wasn't enough, then lying and cover-ups were added to it... Â I really do hope that the Scouts, the churches, schools, and whoever else is involved with the kids, will begin to take this seriously ~ for the sick perversion that it is ~ and deal with the offenders swiftly and effectively.
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I also think we need to take a long, serious look at our sentencing guidelines for these sex offenders, especially when they involve kids... our foremost priority needs to be protection of the kids; if the offender gets his feelings hurt in the process, that's just too dam bad. Â Â It's long past time that we got back to putting victims' rights FIRST.
 @margay1 Did you also notice this offender was a kid himself when the offenses occurred? There needs to be intervention and help early to prevent this from developing in the first place.
"A statement from the Boy Scouts said Wittren was removed from scouting as soon as leaders heard about the allegations."
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Another gay pedophile. Thankfully the Boy Scouts seems to have learned their lesson and are turing these guys in quickly.
 @RalphCramden How do you know he's gay, Ralph?
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Pedophiles prey on children, regardless of their gender.
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In fact, most pedophiles who have preyed on children of their same gender, identify as heterosexual. They don't see the children as male or female, only as targets for their sickness.
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Ignorant people continue to believe the stereotype from decades ago that being homosexual and being pedophile means the same thing, when in fact, more heterosexuals are pedophiles than any other sexual orientation.
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You should educate yourself, Ralph. Ignorance looks bad on you.
http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_molestation.html
 @MikeyÂ
Because one guy wrote down something on a web site I am supposed to take his word for it? I don't think do.
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Sex with the same sex is gay sex. Not going to change my mind. It doesn't matter what they identify themselves as.
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You may call it ignorant. I can it being politically incorrect.
 @RalphCramden Correction: Pedophiles are attracted to children by definition. Homosexuals are adults attracted to same-sex adults by definition. The way pedophiles are attracted has to do much more with the the way rapists choose victims ; not the way adults choose consensual partners. We don't even yet know if there were any other victims of this 18 yr old boy, either male of female. It is not uncommon for there to be both.
 @whirledworldÂ
Sex between the same sex is gay sex. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_sex
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It matters not what the people who are having the sex identify themselves as.
 @whirledworld Â
You seem to be having a conversation with yourself and attributing some of that conversation to me.
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If you look back on my posts I never once said anything about rape. You were the one who brought it up and the one who is continuing to push that subject.
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I think the interesting thing is that you are do wound up. It is an interesting reaction and totally without logic.
 @whirledworldÂ
I'm a bigot because i say it like is? Do you have any idea what a bigot is?
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A bigot is a person who is winning an argument and the other person has nothing to say so they call they call the person winning the argument a bigot.
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It is similar to Godwin's Law.
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You are reverting to playground tactics and trying to demean me because you don't like or agree with what I am saying. That is not what mature adults do.
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What really makes you angry is that you can't convince me otherwise. Because of that you think I am stupid and of course revert to more insults.
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One of these days you are going to realize that not everyone thinks like you do and that is not the problem you make it out to be. My hope is that you mature one of these days and accept others point of view without trying to get them to think like you.
 @noneofyourbizzness    @whirledworldÂ
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People can do what they want between consenting adults only if it doesn't affect me.
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I don't believe gay men are attracted to boys any more than heterosexual men are attracted to girls. Both are considered pedophilia if acted on.
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Homosexual acts are sex acts with the same sex. Pretty simple definition and here is the definition from Princeton University.
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"Homosexuality: a sexual attraction to (or sexual relations with) persons of the same sex." wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
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This guy had sex with the same sex. That is gay sex by definition. How he defines himself has no bearing on what he did. The act is what defines him. I murderer deny being a murderer. Does that mean that the person is not a murderer? Of course not.
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The PC crowd tries very hard to distance themselves from this issue and when I say it like is people can't handle it. They try all kinds or psychobabble to "prove" it isn't the case but that crap doesn't work on me.
How about this whirledworld, Gay started out as being Happy. Remember the Flinstones had gay in there opening song. At the very end it said"We will have a Gay old time." Then it was changed to discribe one who has sex with the same sex of the person. Now people are trying to say it means something else.PC Running amuck.Â
Hear Hear RalphCramden!!! Well Said!!
 @noneofyourbizzness  @RalphCramden  @whirledworld No, he doesn't have an "issue" with homosexual activity. However, "homo" means "same" and this boy is having sexual relations (consensual or NOT) with boys. If he is molesting both boys and girls, it becomes "Bi" (two) sexual. It's not a matter of labeling members of society as pedophiles, it's pointing out that literally speaking, IT IS same sex.  I know people get all up in arms about that in this day and age, but calling it something different won't change the reality, and trying to push it under the rug because it brings to light to objectionable terms isn't going to make the problem go away. You need to stop being so butt hurt (pun intended) over words. Words have annotations and connotations. Ralph means it in the annotated sense of the word.Â
@RalphCramden @whirledworld I'm going to come right out and ask you.Do you disapprove of homosexual activity? If so,can you list the reasons? is it your belief thay gay men are always attracted to 12 year old boys? If you have issued with homosexuals,instead of beating around the bush,Maybe you can come clean regarding your true feelings?
 @RalphCramden ps how do you explain all the pedophiles that go after both boys and girls?? Are they "bi" according to you? You think that you are the expert over countless scientists, doctors and researchers and tiny little you wants to call them PC because in fact it is you who is wrong (and your insecure ego) and what the research proves is contrary to your bigotry? ? What an ignorant thing to say. You sound like you never finished even half of HS and are frightened of people with higher learning than yourself or who are different than yourself. Small minds= small attitudes in a dark little room where the light never shines.
 @RalphCramden NO survivors of sexual abuse/assault/rape are going to like nor agree with what you said one bit! With good reason: it is very offensive to them and they have every right to be disgusted with you causing them more distress. They don't think of what happened to them as "sex"! They think of it as rape. Sex is not rape. Rape is not sex. Sex = consensual. Rape = violence and force. Shame on you for dissing the victims in this manner. Your stupidity and ignorance about this causes survivors harm. All because you don't like homosexuals. Wow. Pretty f'd up.
 @whirledworldÂ
Not buying it.
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Sex with the same sex is gay sex. Not going to change my mind. I know the PC crowd will work real hard to distance themselves from this but it is what it is.
 @RalphCramden Wrong again, but thx for trying.. If you want the scientifically clinically researched info here it is: http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_molestation.html
Surprise yourself beyond your wrong assumptions and misinformation with a cross-section of experts' published studies! It's never too late to learn something new.
 @RalphCramden Rape is another matter. It is considered an act of violence, not sex.
 @whirledworld  @RalphCramden Yea whirleworld but why is always gay men on little boys  Please show Ralph  where the girl scouts had this problem or that the nuns  did the same as the priest with little girls.Growing up i use the hang at Sams BILLIARD in Hollywood dist  where older gay men hung around to buy booze and hang with us young boys.How come that never happened with women hitting on us young studs dam i wish they would have but no go just men.
 @riderofthelegend  @whirledworld  @RalphCramden It's the same question as to why are serial killers wholly men? There is one woman on record as being a possible serial killer and there is still debate on whether or not her crimes fit the description of serial killer. I believe that there is something in the difference of the x and y chromosome that determines sex, a gene, or maybe hormonal imbalance that causes this imbalance in the male brain. Almost all male deviant personalities point to right before puberty as when something "snapped" and they become psychologically dysfunctional and either developed (or could no longer control) their deviant behaviors. It is certainly something worth looking in to, but right now there are no hardcore answers as to why it is men, and not women--who engage in these kinds of behaviors.
 @riderofthelegend  @RalphCramden rapist guys attack girls, babies, toddlers, boys, teens, women and even men all the time because most rapists are guys.Anywhere you have males you have a much higher risk for rape and sexual abuse than in any other group. Males allow this to go on in various forms in their larger population and that is one reason it hasn't stopped yet.
 @riderofthelegend  @RalphCramden Males are the preponderance of rapists and thousands of female children have been sexually abused by male pedophiles. Thousands! Many pedophiles have sexually abused both girls and boys...even infants.
 @whirledworld  @RalphCramden Answer my question why is all this stuff guy on guy or guy on male kids.Why don't nuns and .Girlscouts  have same problem
 @riderofthelegend  @RalphCramden Men are the HUGE majority of rapists of women, men , boys and girls.... and rape is not even about sex: it's about gross misuse of power. Pedophilia is a form of sexual abuse & rape. Rapists all choose their victims according to their own broken pieces of self. Rapists are not exactly hetero or homosexual; their sexual identity is as a rapist.
This guy gets busted for sodomy. Â But, isn't that what gays do all the time? Â Answer...Yes it is. Â Only difference is that this was an adult and a minor involved. Â Other than that it is the same, so shouldn't all gays be subject to arrest. Â Answer... Yes.
@boomer please allow me to answer your question.The SCOTUS ruled that sexual activity between consenting adults is considered personal liberty.It was a landmark case that struck down Texas sodomy laws. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_v._Texas
 @boomer boomer your statement is so offensive it is the same as saying all women should be arrested or all black people should be arrested or all heterosexual people should be arrested. I hope people will flag your post. BTW when did you *decide* to be heterosexual? Around the same time as black people *decided* to be black?
@boomer You make two mistakes.  First, the definition you are using for Sodomy is not the definition the Oregon Revised Statutes uses, so the answer is no, they should not be arrested.
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The second mistake you made was to say this event involved an adult and a minor. Â The person arrested is 18 years old now, in November of 2012. Â But the events happened in 2010. Â Depending on when it happened and when his birthday is, he would have been 15 or 16 at the time. Â This was a case of an older boy versus younger boys.
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The article, in my opinion, does not give enough information when they use the term troop leader. Â The boys in a Boy Scout Troop elect their own leaders from within their peer group - this person obviously had held one of those elected positions (and he obviously did not deserve). Â Of course, if we could only get all the perverts to wear signs announcing who they are, this would all be so much easier. Â Until they do, these guys just look like your average Joe.
 @boomer ? I don't understand your logic? How is being gay and raping children the same thing?
 @_Ptown_ Boomer's a born-again bigot.
Only people who sin like him are true believers.
 @_Ptown_  @boomer exactly