PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon trial could see the release of secret Boy Scouts of America documents that chronicle the sexual abuse of young boys by Scout leaders.
The lawyer for a man who was molested in the 1980s by a Scout leader says the files show how the organization has covered up abuse for decades. Kelly Clark has obtained about 1,000 of the so-called "perversion files" that have rarely been seen by the public.
The Boy Scouts had fought to keep the files being used in the Portland trial confidential. But they lost a pretrial legal battle when the Oregon Supreme Court rejected their argument.
Boy Scouts attorney Charles Smith said in his opening statement the files were kept under wraps because they "were replete with confidential information."
Clark is seeking $14 million in damages on behalf of his client.
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Timur Dykes headshot, Scout leader who later admitted to being a serial molester, Oregon, on texture, partial graphic
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: Kelly Clark, prosecuting attorney for a child molestation case against the Boys Scouts which began Wednesday, March 17, 2010 in Multnomah County Courthouse in Portland, Ore.. The trial is under way in Portland for an Oregon man who claims the Boy Scouts of America covered up sexual abuse by Scout leaders for decades, and he was one of the victims as a child.
