Former Boy Scout Leader Found Guilty of 12 Counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse

Jon L. Demers, a former Boy Scout Leader, has been found guilty of 12 counts of aggravated sex abuse of minors in Illinois.  The abuse took place between 2005 and 2011.  Demers faces 7 years in prison for his crimes.  It is not clear if those who were sexually abused were Boy Scouts at the time of the abuse.  This latest criminal case reflects a disturbing trend of recent arrests and convictions of Boy Scout leaders for abuse that has occurred recently.  While many institutions such as the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts claim that the sexual abuse crisis has past and involves “old incidents”, that is simply not the case.