(AP) LOS ANGELES – A newspaper investigation has found the Boy Scouts of America failed to report hundreds of suspected child sex abusers to authorities and often helped cover up the accusations over two decades.
The Los Angeles Times reported Sunday that a review of 1,600 of the organization's confidential "perversion" files dating from 1970 to 1991 revealed that leaders often helped suspected molesters push the allegations under the rug.
The newspaper found that in about 400 cases, there is no record of the Scouts reporting cases to police after parents, boys and staff members notified leaders.
In a statement, Scouts spokesman Deron Smith says the organization today requires members to report any suspicion of abuse directly to local authorities and has always fully cooperated with police.
