Man sues Boy Scouts for failing to protect him from molester
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CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) -
A man who claims he was routinely molested by a scoutmaster in southwest suburban Burbank during the 1980s is suing the Boy Scouts of America for failing to protect him from the man, who is now in prison.
The victim, who is not named in the suit, was allegedly molested by former scoutmaster Thomas Hacker "on routine occasions," in 1985, according to the suit, filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court, the Sun-Timesis reporting. It also names the Chicago Area Council as a defendant.
Hacker, now 75, is serving a 100-year prison term for molesting a 14-year-old member of a Boy Scout troop he led at a parish in Burbank in the 1980s.
Hacker had been arrested in Indiana for sexual assault and battery of boys in 1970, only to later resurface in Illinois, according to the suit.
"This is an egregious case of our client being let down by the informal and ineffective system Scouting had in place to protect its members," Chris Hurley, the victim's attorney, said in a written statement.
"While BSA was promoting the wholesomeness of its programs, and its moral and safe environment, for decades it was secretly removing scoutmasters for child sexual abuse at an alarming rate. Unfortunately, once removed, many of them managed to sneak back in and continue victimizing boys."
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