3 Locals in Boy Scouts' 'Perversion Files'

Three South Bay men have been included in a Los Angeles Times database of possible cases of sexual abuse by Boy Scout troop leaders and volunteers.

Neither the names of the three local residents—two in Redondo Beach and one in Torrance—nor any specific details of why they were banned from the Boy Scouts were included in the Boy Scouts' "perversion files" released to the public Thursday.

For decades, the Boy Scouts of America maintained—and continues to keep—the Ineligible Volunteer Files as a way to prevent volunteers suspected of inappropriate sexual behavior from abusing children. 

The files became public Thursday as part of an $18.5 million settlement between the BSA and a victim.

"There have been instances where people misused their positions in Scouting to abuse children, and in certain cases, our response to these incidents and our efforts to protect youth were plainly insufficient, inappropriate, or wrong," BSA President Wayne Perry said in a statement. "Where those involved in Scouting failed to protect, or worse, inflicted harm on children, we extend our deepest apologies to victims and their families."

All BSA volunteers must complete background checks and comprehensive training, and staff are required to report even suspected cases of sexual abuse, he said.

"Experts have found that the BSA’s system of Ineligible Volunteer Files functions well to help protect Scouts by denying entry to dangerous individuals," he said.

According to a BSA "Know the Facts" page, items in the files include "tips and hearsay that cannot be proven in a court of law."

The organization also defended its decision to keep its files secret, saying that the confidentiality "encourages prompt reporting" of incidents.

KQED quoted the law firm of O'Donnell, Clark & Crew that many of the cases were not shared with law enforcement agencies. Oregon attorney Kelly Clark, also involved in the lawsuits, said the Boy Scouts never told families or troops about the files nor trained them to use it. As a result, he said, it is estimated that the vast majority of abuse incidents in Scouting were never reported to the national office.

The Los Angeles Times has created a database of the cases by year, city, state and troop number. The newspaper's list includes the time period covered by Thursday's release (1965 to 1985), but also other accusations and documents gathered and released in various court cases.

Here is a list of the three cases in the South Bay, according to the Times' files:

No cases from Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, San Pedro, El Segundo, Inglewood, Lawndale or any of the cities on the Palos Verdes Peninsula were included in the database.