A list of Boy Scout leaders accused of child sex abuse claims was released Tuesday morning, including 13 men from Western New York.
Dubbed the “Perversion Files” by a Manhattan-based law firm, the list contains more than 7,000 names, with 130 coming from across New York State.
Among those from Western New York:
- Kenneth Allan Dingman, Troop 48, Albion
- Douglas Louis White, Troop 399, Angola
- William Charles Parker, Troop 175, Barre Center
- Charles E. Ladison, Troop 24, Belmont
- Timothy H. Jones, Explorer Post 10, Buffalo
- Richard Earl Martin, Troop 335, Buffalo; Troop 257, Grand Island
- Lowell L. Merritt, Troop 67, Corfu
- John E. Grace, Troop 567, Depew
- Douglas W. Nail, Troop 565, Depew
- William D. Baker, Troop 547, Lackawanna
- Raymond W. Culbertson, Troop 547, Lackawanna
- Alfred L. Cote, Pack 185, North Tonawanda
- Peter Naffky, Troop 450, Tonawanda
Attorney Jeff Anderson of the firm Jeff Anderson & Associates was joined by children advocates in releasing the list. The published file of alleged perpetrators came to light during recent litigation.
The list of alleged attackers through Boy Scouts of America dates back to the 1940s. That includes 130 in New York, most of which were from New York City.
All are accused by the law firm of being part of a systematic pattern of sexual abuse that impacted a staggering number of victims.
The Boy Scouts of America Released a statement Tuesday, saying it “cares deeply about all victims of child sex abuse and sincerely apologize to anyone who was harmed during their time in Scouting.
"We believe victims, we support them, and we have paid for unlimited counseling by a provider of their choice,” the statement says. "Nothing is more important than the safety and protection of children in scouting and we are outraged that there have been times when individuals took advantage of our programs to abuse innocent children."
The list comes out just months after the New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Child Victims Act into law, making it possible for not only the alleged perpetrators, but organizations that may have fostered sexual crimes against minors, to face charges and be identified, no matter how long ago the case happened.