was a Mormon church member and cub scout leader in Norfolk, Virginia; convicted on 14 counts of aggravated sexual battery; sentenced in 1988 to 26 years in prison for molesting eight boys; had as many as 41 alleged victims

class="case-summary-title">Facts

Summary

In 1979 in Norfolk, Virginia, LDS church member Eric Patrick “Ricky” Avant “was a church cub scout leader. He sodomized eight boys. He had
a prior conviction for sodomy, but the church never checked him out and never registered him with Boy Scouts of America which would have run a background check .The LDS Church settled in May 1992 for an undisclosed amount.”

“According to the suit, Avant was convicted in 1979 of similar offenses, something the Boy Scouts could have easily discovered. The suit alleges that the Scouts and the church were negligent in not checking on Avant’s background.”

“The families who initiated prosecution said they had cooperated with police in compiling a list of 41 victims from the Webelos den and church.”

Sources

  1. Eric Patrick Avant - Boy Scout Perversion Files
    view source details | 28 Sep 2023 | Los Angeles Times

Source details

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