William “Bill” Challberg and his roommate Julian Mendoza were arrested this month by Phoenix police on charges that they had inappropriate contact with minor boys between 1983 and 2003. Phoenix police say 65-year-old Challberg is facing 26 charges in the case and 51-year-old Julian Mendoza is facing 15 charges, involving at least five boys, aged 9 to 16.
The tragic thing about these new criminal charges is that The Boy Scouts knew Challberg was molesting boys at least by 1986, but didn’t tell the police. Following this month’s arrests, police told Arizona Central, a local media outlet, that “a Boy Scout and his father filed a written complaint with the organization in 1986 detailing alleged sexual abuse by Challberg, who was soon forced to resign from his position within the Boy Scouts of America.”
These recent arrests followed an October 2013 police report from the Youth Protection Advisor at the BSA. It is unclear why the BSA contacted the police in 2013, but the Boy Scouts put out a statement after the recent arrests, confirming that Challberg was removed from the Boy Scouts back in 1986 when the BSA created an Ineligible Volunteer file (“Perversion File”) on him. What the Boy Scouts didn’t explain was why they didn’t contact law enforcement back in 1986, when they received the complaint and kicked Challberg out of Scouting.
As a result of the Boy Scouts’ failure to report Challberg and his roommate to authorities, these two men continued to abuse young boys for 17 years! The Boy Scouts should take responsibility for such gross negligence.
Phoenix police are asking anyone with information to call the police or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS, or to contact the department’s child crimes hotline at 602-262-4543 or CHILDCRIMESHOTLINE.PPD@PHOENIX.GOV.
If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to call me (503-952-6789) or email me at Gilion@dumaslawgroup.com
Learn more about the arrest of William Challberg at the Arizona Central website.