Leaders allegedly hid sex crimes- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case: Convicted,
Case report
05/02/17 Boise, Idaho
LDS James Schmidt was Convicted of Lewd Conduct with a Minor in February, 1983 in Idaho, and again in October, 1996 in Maryland. Accused of molesting scouts in the 1970’s and 1980’s and on May 1st, 2017 another case was brought against the LDS Church and the Boy Scouts of America due to Schmidt’s sexual molestation of children.
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07/21/85 – Idaho
LDS church member James Schmidt allegedly abused another child. The “case was filed in 2013, in which Schmidt is accused of abusing John Doe II according to the complaint. The Plaintiff stated “1 am outraged that the BSA and the LDS church did nothing to prevent Mr. Schmidt from raping me and the other boys.”
“the men say the LDS Church knew that some of its Scoutmasters and troop leaders had molested boys in the past and that it nevertheless continued to put boys in harm’s way.”
“The LDS…. and the Boy Scouts failed to remove abusers from the organization or notify police or parents, even after boys and their parents told them about cases of molestation or rape.”
In 1979 BSA “council Executive Rex Black first wrote national Scouting leaders about Schmidt” but”according to the May 13, 1981 letter… Black feared a public spectacle and had told Schmidt so in 1979, warning him a legal case would bring bad publicity to Schmidt and to the Scouts.”
Case facts
- case report | facts | sources
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Born: 1944
- LDS mission: no
- During alleged crime, lived in: Idaho,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime years: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s,
- Convicted in: 1980s, 1990s,
- Add information
Case information sources
- case report | facts | sources
- Mormon church and Boy Scouts of America covered up sexual abuse for decades, lawsuit says - NY Daily News - 2017-05-02
- James Phillip Schmidt - Perversion Files - LA Times
- accused - Idaho Boy Scout Abuse
- source 4
Case information source details
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Mormon church and Boy Scouts of America covered up sexual abuse for decades, lawsuit says - NY Daily News - 2017-05-02
Publisher: Daily News
Date: 21 Sep 2023
Archive.org
Source type: News article -
view all information sources James Phillip Schmidt - Perversion Files - LA Times
Publisher:
Date:
Archive.org
Source type: News article - view all information sources
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view all information sources
--- The following is a history and timeline and the case allegations will follow:
Sex Offender Registry Details
Perpetrator: Schmidt, James - Mormon Place: Caldwell, Nampa
Troop & Location: Troop 228 - Caldwell, Troop 200 - Wilder, Ore-lda Council 106 Years in BSA: Put in IV Files in 1983, Scouting from 1977-1983 Evidence of LDS Knowledge:
In the file there are letters of complaint about Schmidt going back to 1979 and on May 13, 1981 a letter from Rex J. Black, Council Executive to Paul ERNST BSA National states that Rex “received a call from (REDACTED), a member of the LDS Nampa, Idaho, Stake Presidency. He related that about four month earlier that Jim Schmidt was involved in Homosexual activities. Jim has some mental and physical problems and has been in the State Hospital quite a while; therefore no “church court” was held concerning excommunication from the LDS Church, but he was asked to cease Scouting activities in the Ward and Stake. Jim has become active in the district and in other units even though in our conference of July 20.1979 he had agreed not to. Continuing with the telephone call from (REDACTED) on May 12-President (REDACTED) related that he had a call from a mother in one of the “non-LDS” units where Jim Schmidt had become associated. Jim had been making homosexual advances with the youth there. I have discussed this with our President, Roy Arnold, and feel that I should again meet with Jim and ask him to cease his activities and present him with the enclosed letter. As indicated in the 1979 letter his first reaction will be to fight legally, but I think I can calm him and void a public conflict. Sincerely Rex J. Black Council Executive.”
And another letter from BSA Rex Black dated February 25,1983 to their legal Counsel "Dear Dave: Last week Jim Schmidt was arrested and charged with lewd conduct ...The
police are stating that he will receive other charges dealing with other boys. There is considerable adverse publicity locally. I'm getting some pressure stating that I was aware of the situation for more than four years but I did nothing."
Timeline for James Philip Schmidt:
Born 1 1/24/1 944SSN Issued in Idaho 1960’s through 1983
Lived and worked in the Caldwell-Nampa-Boise area.
Summer, 1977
Molested Scout at scout camp.
6/19/79
Mother of Scout reports abuse to Rex Black, Ore-lda Council Executive 7/20/79
Rex Black confronts Schmidt. Schmidt says accusations were two years ago and that he did not do it. Schmidt agreed to stay away from camp, but wanted to continue with his “own” unit.
9/18/79
Rex Black notifies Vern Dunn, associate director of BSAof the accusations made toward Schmidt.
5/12/81
Rex Black was notified by the LDS Stake President, Jerry Hess, that Schmidt had been involved in “homosexual” activities, but he did not want to remove him from church because of his mental problems, and decided not to send Schmidt to “church court”. Conf 009213 5/12/81
Rex Black acknowledged that Schmidt was still active in scouting despite being told to stay away in July, 1979.
7/2/81
Rex Black received the IV File record sheet from Paul Ernst, BSA Registration. 10/12/81
Rex Black received a second request for the form from Paul Ernst.
1 982 Schmidt was registered as Scouting Coordinator for Troop 228, Caldwell Methodist Church. Conf 009202 2/18/82
Rex Black sent a letter to Paul Ernst requesting that Schmidt not be put in the IV Files.
2/25/83
Schmidt arrested for lewd conduct with a boy on a Cub Scout camping trip.
3/17/83
Schmidt finally put in the IV Files.
6/1983
Received suspended sentence and sent to Maryland for treatment. (Idaho Statesman)
10/7/1996
Convicted of Sex Abuse of a Minor in Maryland.
Current Registered Sex Offender.
JOHN DOE XX, JOHN DOE XXI, JOHN DOE XXII, SHANE JULIAN, and RILEY GILROY, Plaintiffs, v. BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA, a congressionally chartered corporation authorized to do business in Idaho; CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDING BISHOP OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, a foreign corporation sole registered to do business in Idaho; and CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS AND SUCCESSORS, a foreign corporation registered to do business in Idaho,
Defendants.
ALLEGATIONS SPECIFIC TO PLAINTIFF SHANE JULIAN
27.
Plaintiff Shane Julian (“Julian”) re-alleges and incorporates by reference paragraphs 1 -26.
28.
Julian was born in 1973.
29.
At all times relevant to this Complaint, Julian was a child involved in Cub Scouting, in a den that, on information and belief, was sponsored or operated by the LDS Defendants Caldwell Fourth Ward. Julian was under the care, custody, protection, and/or responsibility of each Defendant during the time he was involved in Scouting.
30.
One of leaders of Julian’s den was James Schmidt. In or around approximately 1982, Schmidt sexually abused Julian at Schmidt’s home by engaging in oral sex. Schmidt’s sexual abuse of Julian also included other acts of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. SCHMIDT-James Schmidt-Complaint Idaho. Case 1 :17-cv-00184 CWD.pdf
“For the second time in his life, Riley Gilroy is turning to the courts to right a wrong.
The first time was when he was 9 years old and his mother, a single parent in Caldwell, thought he needed a male role model....
“Caldwell’s Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 4th Ward recommended the Boy Scouts — Scouting has been a sanctioned LDS program for nearly 100 years, and the church is Idaho’s largest sponsor of it. Gilroy and his best friend joined the ward’s Cub Scout den in 1982.” “That’s where I met Jim Schmidt who, over a period of time, proceeded to molest me and other Cub Scouts,” Gilroy said.”
’’Gilroy, 44, now lives in Massachusetts. Earlier this year, he found out the Boy Scouts had an “ineligible volunteer” file on Schmidt, part of a decades-old file system that tracks sexual misconduct and other transgressions.”
“The Boy Scouts’ paperwork on Schmidt’s problems started in 1979 — three years before Schmidt started sexually abusing Gilroy.”
“The first entries are two handwritten statements from two Boy Scouts given to Ore-lda Council Executive Rex J. Black in June 1979. An example: “The summer of 1977, when I was twelve at Boy Scout camp ... we slept in Jim Schmidt’s tent. ... Jim Schmidt tried to get his hands down my pants. I knocked his hand away and rolled over. I was scared because of this and because he said there was something out there. He said it was a wolverine but I knew there were no wolverines around that area.”
“Black took the 1979 complaints to Schmidt, who said he was innocent. Black then instructed Schmidt to have an adult present when he doing Scouting activities.
In 1981 , a member of the LDS Nampa Stake Presidency called Black to say Schmidt was involved in “homosexual activities” involving youth. Black told the Ore-lda Council president, who gave Black a letter for Schmidt stating his registration with the Boy Scouts had been suspended.”
Black also sent a letter to the national office in Texas recounting what he had been told:
“Jim (Schmidt) has some mental and physical problems and has been in the State Hospital quite a while; therefore, no ‘church court’ was held concerning excommunication from the LDS Church, but he was asked to cease Scouting activities in the Ward and Stake.”
“In early 1982, the same year Gilroy joined Cub Scouts, Black responded: “After careful study, I do not feel that Jim Schmidt should be put on the confidential file. There is probably no chance he that he will leave this council, and I’ll watch for any wrongdoing here.””
One year later came Schmidt’s arrest.
MAY 10, 2017 12:20 PM
‘I felt betrayed.’ Former Idaho Scouts speak about abuse they suffered as children BY CYNTHIA SEWELL
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