Two more victims of Douglas Young Jr. of Lebanon, who was sentenced in January to more than 23 years in prison for sexually abusing young boys, have filed a lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America.
Young pleaded guilty late last year to three counts of first-degree sex abuse, four counts of second-degree sex abuse, one count of third-degree sex abuse and four counts of use attempting to use a child in display of sexually explicit conduct. He had faced a total of 43 charges that involved 10 victims, according to court records.
The two latest plaintiffs’ suit was filed Thursday, May 31, in Multnomah County Circuit Court against the Boys Scouts of America and the Cascade Pacific Council of the BSA.
Their suit follows another filed in January by a single 12-year-old. All three were members of Young’s Boy Scout Troop 420, which met at First Christian Church in Lebanon, according to Portland attorney Peter Janci of Crew Janci LLP, attorneys for the victims in both suits. The firm specializes in sexual abuse cases and has represented dozens of victims of sexual abuse in cases involving the Boys Scouts, according to a company statement.
Young also operated as a foster parent and volunteered with abused children at ABC House (according to Young’s lawyer’s statements in court).
The Lebanon Police Department had contact with Young over the past 12 years, including two times for alleged sex abuse. No charges were filed in those instances.
Young’s arrest was the result of an investigation that began on Feb. 28, 2017 when it was reported that Young had inappropriate contact with a minor. During the course of the investigation, additional victims, who are now adults, were contacted and interviewed.
Young maintained a blog where he wrote about being investigated by police and by Oregon Department of Human Services for allegations of child sexual abuse. He also wrote about being “a very physical person” and about how he enjoyed co-sleeping and snuggling with boys living in his home.
The lawsuit alleges that the Boy Scouts of America was aware that Young was the subject of police investigations regarding multiple allegations of child sexual abuse. The lawsuit also alleges that the Boy Scouts were aware of other “red flags” – including violations of youth safety policies and other strange and bizarre behavior. The lawsuit alleges that the Boy Scouts were negligent in allowing a suspected child sexual abuser to continue as a Scout Leader.
The lawsuit also includes a claim of “fraud” against the Boy Scouts, which alleges that BSA have represented to the public that it has reformed and that it has a “zero tolerance” policy, when, in fact, Scoutmaster Douglas Young was allowed to continue as a Scoutmaster despite having previously been investigated on allegations of child sexual abuse.
“This man was a predator who openly groomed the boys and families around him; he was investigated by the authorities multiple times and even wrote a blog about it,” Janci said. Yet somehow – in 2015 and 2016 – the Boy Scouts allowed Mr. Young to continue as a Scoutmaster over trusting boys, including our clients.
“In this case, we will be pressing to get to the bottom of how this could happen. We will be asking: ‘Are the Boy Scouts really doing everything possible to screen and supervise their Scoutmasters and ensure that minor Scouts are safe from predatory and manipulative adults?’”
Anyone with information about Douglas Young or abuse in Lebanon Oregon Scout Troop 420 is asked to contact Crew Janci at 1-888-407-0224.
