was a Mormon church member and scout leader in southern California; pleaded no contest to two counts of child molestation as part of a plea agreement wherein six other molestation charges were dropped; sentenced in 1991 to eight years in prison for sexually abusing two of his scouts for several years; as of 2024, registered sex offender living in Granada Hills, California

Case Summary

This case has to do with events in the state of California in 1991 or earlier.

FLOODLIT is seeking more information about this case.

Even though Dennis Schult was reportedly excommunicated from the Mormon church prior to being charged with child sexual abuse, FLOODLIT’s sources indicate that child sex abuse was the primary reason for his excommunication in approximately 1981.

Despite his excommunication, Schult remained as a Webelos scout leader. Stake president Roger Steven Garrick of the Los Angeles Chatsworth stake said about this fact, that “someone clearly, relaxed,” according to a statement by BSA field director Chad Jay Holman in 1991.

Schult was placed on the BSA confidential files and was convicted for child molestation.

In the “perversion files” record on Schult, there is a “Confidential Report for Gene Richey – subject: Dennis Walter Schult” from BSA field director Chad Jay Holman dated Feb. 22, 1991. An excerpt reads:

“[On Feb. 21, 1991] I spoke with President Garrick of the Chatsworth Stake. He requested that our conversation be kept highly confidential. I assured him it would be handled in this manner.

“The following information, he related to me, was to the best of his knowledge:

“About 10 years ago there was an incident involving Dennis Schult. The L.D.S. Church Ward Leadership (Chatsworth 2nd Ward Unit Numbers 535) at the time, decided to remove Dennis from all leadership positions in the church and in the church sponsored Troop.

“The positions Mr. Schult may have held at the time were Young Men’s President and Scoutmaster. He was uncertain as to the exact positions Schult held.

“Around 1987 another problem occurred with Schult and he was completely excommunicated from the L.D.S. Church.

“To President Garrick’s knowledge, Schult had not been a leader in Scouting after the incident 10 years ago. He also thought the incidents for which the charges were brought occurred within the last several years. He also felt that Schult should never be allowed to register in the Boy Scouts again. This concluded our conversation.

“Then I checked the registration records for Pack, Troop, Team and Post 535. This is what I found:

“On the 1977-1978 Charter he was registered as a Scoutmaster in Troop 535.

“On the 1978-1979 Charter he started-out being registered as a Scoutmaster for Troop 535 but that was later crossed-out and changed to a member of the committee.

“On the 1979-1980 Pack Charter he was registered as a Cubmaster.

“I was then surprised to find him again on the 1984-1985 and 1985-1986 Pack Charter registered as a Webelos Leader.

“At no time was he registered in either the Post or Team.

“I called President Garrick back and shared with him the fact that Schult had been registered as a Webelos Leader in 1984 and
1985. His comment was that someone clearly, relaxed.

“He still thought the charges against Schult were for incidents that occurred from 1988-1990 after he was out of scouting. However, he felt the boys involved, Schult probably first met through contact in the L.D.S. Church Scouting Program.”

Sources
  1. STUDENTS: Welcome Mat Is Not Out for Foreign Scholars
    view source details | 20 Mar 1985 | Los Angeles Times
  2. Ex-Scout Leader Gets 8 Years for Molestation
    view source details | 20 Feb 1991 | Los Angeles Times
Sources excerpts
  • STUDENTS: Welcome Mat Is Not Out for Foreign Scholars
    Source type: News article
    Publisher: Los Angeles Times
    Date published/accessed: 20 Mar 1985
    archive 1 | archive 2

    Schult had an 18-year-old male student from Sweden living in his home in Northridge Hills, California in 1985.

  • back to online sources list
    Ex-Scout Leader Gets 8 Years for Molestation
    Source type: News article
    Publisher: Los Angeles Times
    Date published/accessed: 20 Feb 1991
    archive 1 | archive 2

    Aformer Northridge Boy Scout leader pleaded no contest to two counts of child molestation and was sentenced to eight years in state prison, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said Tuesday.

    Under a plea arrangement, six other molestation charges against Dennis Walter Schult, 55, were dropped. Schult, who was sentenced last Friday in San Fernando Superior Court, was accused of molesting two boys, aged 8 and 12, over a period of several years at his Northridge house.

    Prosecutors said Schult, an insurance agent and a car buff, often had young boys at his home. “They would work on cars . . . ,” said Deputy Dist. Atty. Steven Ipsen.

    But Schult also gave the boys “alcohol and showed them videos and magazines of a sexual nature. These things were used as tools to seduce and gain the cooperation of these children,” Ipsen said.

    Schult met one of the boys through a church scouting program. Schult was arrested last April after the two boys “realized what had been done to them. They also expressed concern about protecting other young children,” Ipsen said.

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