John P. Treder
John P. Treder was a scoutmaster accused of molesting a boy in his troop while at a southeastern Wisconsin Scout camp on a July night in 1968. But the details of his misconduct would remain a Scout secret for more than two decades, surfacing only in 1991.
Treder lay on the boy’s bunk and “touched me between my legs several times and again asked me if I liked it. I said ‘no,’ ” the boy wrote in a statement to Scout officials a week later. “At first I trusted him because I liked him. Then he said if he could kiss me again, he would go, so I let him.”
That incident got Treder removed from Scouting, but there was no report to police. Treder later wrote to the Scout executive who handled his removal, thanking him for “keeping everything in confidence.”
Treder went on to oversee altar boys’ training at a Catholic Church in the Milwaukee suburb of West Allis, where he was charged with assaulting a 10-year-old in 1989. Only then did police learn of the earlier incident with Scouts.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Full Series
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Part 1 - Inside the Files
Our exclusive look into the Boy Scouts confidential files – 30,000 documents, 10 journalists, 6 months of research. Our investigation reveals scouts’ pleas for help being ignored while some scout leaders were promised confidentiality.
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Part 2 - Systemic Failures
The Scripps National Investigative Team tracks systemic problems within the Boy Scouts of America, including poor background checks, and suspected molesters moving from troop to troop. More of our exclusive interview with the leader of BSA.
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Part 3 - Scouts Today
After revelations of abuse within the Boy Scouts of America, how has the organization and its policies changed, and are changes working? You’ll hear different sides. Plus, a one-time abused scout has to decide whether scouting is right for his sons.
Extended Interviews
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Exclusive video interview: Patrick Boyle
Boyle wrote “Scout’s Honor,” a 1994 book examining child sexual abuse in the Boy Scouts of America.
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Video interview: Tom Stewart
Former scout Tom Stewart describes years of abuse he suffered as a child, and how he views scouting today as a father.
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Document Trail
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Document trail: William A. Hoefling
Look at the confidential documents in Hoefling's file. Hoefling was a troop leader near Detroit.
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Document trail: Scott A. Herrick
Click to view confidential documents in his file. Herrick is currently serving a 95-year sentence.
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Document trail: Brian K. Liska
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