In a positive development, a former Boy Scout volunteer was sentenced to over two decades in prison for covertly installing cameras in the restrooms of a Missouri scout camp. The disturbing actions occurred at the S Bar F Scout Ranch in St. Francois County in July 2021.
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The volunteer was convicted for the production and attempted production of child pornography, and he is also being ordered to pay restitution to his victims.
David Lee Nelson, 41, “hid the cameras in paper towel dispensers, positioning them so they would capture a shower stall and other portions of the bathroom,” according to a Justice Department press release. His crimes were discovered when other leaders were helping the kids clean the restroom and found the cameras.
One camera was discovered when a scout leader and scouts were cleaning out one of the restroom stalls. A search uncovered another camera, and leaders then called the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department. When questioned later by a sheriff’s deputy after being spotted near the bathrooms, Nelson lied and said he was looking for a cell phone charger that he’d left in the stall.
During Thursday’s hearing, victims and their parents said Nelson was supposed to be protecting the scouts and was supposed to be someone children could trust. Nelson’s crimes, they said, have now left them unable to trust others. The victims also said they now experience fear and discomfort every time they try to use a public bathroom.
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After finding the cameras, the leader reportedly contacted the authorities, which later led to Nelson’s arrest.
The judge also ordered Nelson to pay $55,000 to benefit victim funds and prevention programs and $6,810 for the victims’ counseling. After his incarceration, Nelson will be under supervised release for the rest of his life and prohibited from contact with minors without permission.
Nelson had recorded an 11-year-old, a 13-year-old, and a 15-year-old, according to the original indictment. His case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched by the Justice Department in 2006 to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. It involves a collaboration of federal, state, and local resources to more effectively apprehend criminals who target children online and to rescue victims of sex trafficking.
Project Safe Childhood is a unified and comprehensive strategy to combat child exploitation. Initiated in May, 2006, Project Safe Childhood combines law enforcement efforts, community action, and public awareness. The goal of Project Safe Childhood is to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. There are five essential components to Project Safe Childhood: (1) building partnerships; (2) coordinating law enforcement; (3) training PSC partners; (4) public awareness; and (5) accountability.
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Online predators have become a particularly pernicious problem, especially for parents seeking to protect their kids. However, there are still plenty of individuals who use offline methods for preying on children.
The Boy Scouts of America has had numerous issues with child predators targeting children in the organization’s care. The organization in 2022 paid a huge settlement to 82,000 victims who were abused as minors in its programs. The organization paid over $2.5 billion in restitution to the victims.