- Douglas Sovereign Smith Jr. The BSA’s former national director for youth protection was released from prison last week after serving nearly seven years behind bars. - He was in charge of Scout safety programs in 2005 when police discovered hundreds of images of child pornography and videos on his home computer. Some included prepubescent boys exposing themselves and engaging in sexual acts. - “It certainly shows that the people supervising him didn’t have their eyes wide open,” said Patrick Boyle, author of "Scout's Honor: Sexual Abuse in America's Most Trusted Institution." - An Eagle Scout who...

Colin R. Schwab, 21, of South Attleboro, was sentenced to a 2 ½-year jail term which was suspended by Judge Michele Armour with probation for two years with conditions, according to court records. Schwab was an 18-year-old Eagle Scout and a senior at Tri-County Regional Vocation Technical High School when he was arrested in January 2020.

John Shores was charged with attempted sexual exploitation of a minor and attempted enticement of a minor. The judge decided to release the 54-year-old before the trial with GPS tracking. Another condition of his release was to have no contact with any children, including his family. According to court documents, he was in possession of four different cellphones, and he used the Whisper app to request child pornography or to trade pictures for child pornography. Court documents said Shores was texting an 11-year-old girl, asking for sexually explicit photos. He also asked a 14-year-old and a 16-year-old...

Jason L. Endress, 44, was arrested July 25, 2023 and had a preliminary hearing Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023 in Ogle County court, where he is charged with criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse. The Ogle County Sheriff’s Department received a call June 23 from Emily Cross, chief operating officer of the Blackhawk Area Council, who said the organization’s hotline received a call with the allegations, Lt. Brian Ketter testified. Ketter said the boy, who is now 25, told him he and Endress “touched each other” while in the chapel at Camp Lowden. According to court documents,...

John Shores, 54, and a former scout leader for Boy Scouts Mid-America Council was arrested by U.S. Marshals last week on federal charges. John Shores is charged with attempted sexual exploitation of a minor and attempted enticement of a minor. A probable cause and detention hearing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 16. He's currently being held in the Douglas County Jail without bond. John Shores was listed as Commissioner of the Board of Directors for Boy Scouts Mid-America Council in annual reports from 2020-2022. John Shoes became an Eagle Scout May 25, 1984 and has been in...