Molestation Claims Mount Against Boy Scouts

Four Oregon men on Tuesday sued the Boy Scouts of America over alleged sexual abuse by a scoutmaster in the 1970s, the latest in a growing series of cases charging that the national charity failed to tackle pedophile predators in its ranks, says Reuters.

The Oregon men, who are seeking $5.2-million each in damages, bring to 35 the number of individuals who have sought legal redress from the Boy Scouts since 2007 over alleged past molestation.

Such cases have come more frequently since the charity was found liable last year in a 1980s pedophilia incident and ordered to pay $19.9-million to an abuse victim.

A Boy Scouts spokesman said the group has instituted stricter safeguards in the past decade, including tighter screening of volunteers.