8
QUEENS WEEKLY, APRIL 28, 2019
Ten Queens Boy Scout leaders appear in orgs. ‘perversion fi les’
BY BILL PARRY
The names of nearly a
dozen Queens men were
listed in the Boy Scouts
of America’s “perversion
files,” according to
attorneys from two law
firms representing victims
of sexual abuse.
The victim’s rights
attorney, Jeff Anderson of
Jeff Anderson Associates,
claimed the Boy Scouts have
kept files on child abusers in
their ranks dating back to
the 1940s.
“For many, many years
there’s been an excavation
of what are called the
‘perversion files.’ Those
are filed and hoarded at
the Boy Scouts of America
headquarters,” Anderson
said during a Manhattan
press conference on
April 23, adding that a
professional retained by
the BSA to review the
case files found that there
were 7,819 suspected
perpetrators nationwide,
while the number of victims
total 12,254.
The Boy Scouts of
America, based in Irving,
Texas, said in a statement
that they “care deeply
about all victims of child
sex abuse and sincerely
apologize to anyone who was
harmed during their time
in Scouting.”
“We are outraged that
there have been times when
individuals took advantage
of our programs to abuse
innocent children,” the
BSA statement added.
“At no time have we ever
knowingly allowed a sexual
predator to work with
youth, and we mandate that
all leaders, volunteers and
staff members nationwide
immediately report any
abuse allegations to law
enforcement.”
A study of a database
compiled by the Los Angeles
Times that was created in
2012 appears to back up
the BSA’s statement. The
trove includes information
on 5,000 men who were
expelled from the BSA
between 1947 and 2005
on suspicion of sexual
abuse including several
from Queens.
Samuel Fried was
a customer relations
professional from Flushing
who was removed as Vice
Chairman of District 8644
and as Assistant Scout
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Master of Troop 0216 in
Bellerose after he was
“arrested and charged
with sexual abuse with a
minor,” according to BSA
documents.
Cal Diva, a bookkeeper
from Jackson Heights, was
arrested in 1960 “on moral
charges with minor boys
brought about by parents
of Troop 135,” documents
showed. Hans Pederson of
Averne resigned in 1965
from Troop 389 in Rockaway
Beach after he was
confronted with allegations
of child sexual abuse, as
did John Montgomery, a
film technician from Long
Island City who was Scout
Master of Troop 63 at The
Steinway Reformed Church
in Astoria in 1963.
In 1988, Thomas
Porembeski, a janitor
from Maspeth, was found
guilty on charges sexual
child abuse of scouts in
upstate Schoharie County.
A letter from the BSA
Greater New York Council
described the trouble it
had uncovering court
documents from the rural
area and told Porembeski
“we are compelled to
request that you sever
any relations you may
have with the Boy Scouts
of America.”
Other scout leaders from
Queens, as identified by
Jeff Anderson Associates,
include Michael Boresch of
Troop 29, Robert Methvin
of Explorer 48, John
Montgomery of Troop 53,
Daniel Aviles of Pack 196
and Robert D’Amore of
Troop 284. Files of each of
them are not part of the L.A.
Times database but they
are pending.
Anderson is seeking full
disclosure from the BSA.
“The bad news is that this
is far from full disclosure,”
he said. “We had to sound
the alarm.”
Anderson added that
New York’s new Child
Victims Act — which
was signed into law by
Governor Andrew Cuomo
and allows victims to press
civil charges against their
alleged abusers before they
reach 55 — takes effect
in August.
“We could not wait
until August to get this
information out,” he said.
Reach reporter Bill
Parry by e-mail at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4538.
Photo via Getty Images
/schnepsmedia.com
