He made them swim naked as he took photos. And at night, he fondled them in their sleeping bags.
When the Boy Scouts of America learned of the scoutmaster's activities in 1978, they ejected him from the organization -- but never contacted police or the parents of those boys in Clawson's Troop 1604.
A total of 52 men, including the Clawson scoutmaster, were accused of sexually assaulting Michigan Scouts between 1960 and 1985, according to documents newly released by the Boy Scouts of America and reviewed by the Free Press.
The files are part of a 2010 lawsuit filed by an Oregon man who was repeatedly assaulted by his scoutmaster. A jury awarded him $18.5 million.
The Michigan cases reflect what happened thousands of times nationwide during those years, records show. Many of the men were professionals -- clergy, teachers, certified counselors and laborers -- and most were listed as having religious affiliations.
They were scoutmasters, assistant scoutmasters, coaches of horseback riding or marksmanship and adult volunteers.
Scouting officials often tried to keep the assaults quiet and failed to notify police and parents, even in cases where the men admitted to the abuse. In some cases, officials appeared sympathetic to those accused, suggesting therapy rather than prosecution.
