A North Carolina man formerly involved with the Boy Scouts was arrested for sex crimes involving a minor, with police saying he may have been targeting children for over 40 years through the organization.
Police arrested Ricky Lynn McClellan, 66, after someone reported suspicious activity with McClellan and a child behind a dumpster near Carolina Mall. McClellan had gone with the child to the movies next to the mall.
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McClellan claimed that he was involved with the Boy Scouts for 40 years, meaning his victims could date back to the 1980s, and police say that he was involved with the organization as recently as December 2020, according to FOX 46.
“The behavior attributed to this individual is reprehensible and goes against everything for which the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) stands,” Stuart Williams, CEO of the Central North Carolina Council of the Boy Scouts of America, said in a statement.
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“We will fully cooperate with law enforcement on their investigation and encourage anyone who knows of or suspects abuse to immediately report it to police.”
The Boy Scouts stressed that McClellan was not affiliated with the organization at the time of his arrest, and he has been banned from any future participation.
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McClellan has so far been charged with one count of indecent liberties with a minor, WSCO-TV 9 reported. He is being held in Cabarrus County Jail with a $75,000 bond.
The Boy Scouts of America filed for bankruptcy in 2020 after it was buried by decades of sex assault and abuse claims. Over 80,000 claims were filed by the end of the year, when the bankruptcy case prevented further claims from past abuses.
Police said McClellan’s victims were 12 years old and under. McClellan may have also been associated with the Girl Scouts, but police are still working to learn more about that connection.
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Anyone with information related to McClellan or this case is asked to call the Concord Police Department at 704-920-5000, or the Cabarrus Area Crime Stoppers at 704-93-CRIME.