59-year old former Boy Scout leader Christopher Edmondson has admitted to abusing six children on multiple occasions between 1979 and 1987. As a result, an Australian judge has sentenced him to six years in prison.
Edmondson is no stranger to the Australian prison system as he previously served a six year sentence for the sexual abuse of another three boys.
In passing sentence, the judge stated, “it was a frightening aspect that you sexually abused all four siblings, both male and female. You were a grown man. You were trusted. Time and time again you abused that trust.”
This story shows that child abuse in Scouting is not a problem of just the Boy Scouts of America. It would be interesting to know if Scouts Australia kept secret files on accused child molesters, similar to the Ineligible Volunteer Files or “Perversion Files” that the BSA kept – and still keeps – here in America.