Two former Boy Scout leaders, one deceased, have been accused of sexually molesting two young scouts in a Cheraw troop during the late 1970s, according to a lawsuit filed against the pair.
The legal complaint filed against the scout leaders, Jay Hodge Jr. and William Hebard’s estate, also charges the Boy Scouts of America, First Presbyterian Church of Cheraw, and the Pee Dee Area Council Boy Scouts of America for failing to take preventative measures against child abuse.
“It’s a lie,” Hodge said Tuesday. “It’s a disgusting lie is what it is.”
“The parents who entrusted me with their children for 35 years know the truth,” said Hodge. “And many people who don’t know me, will realize the truth when they learn the names of the two who claim to have been molested.”
The plaintiffs are identified in the lawsuit filed Friday, Aug. 31, as Chesterfield County Male A, born in 1964, and Male B, born in 1965. The suit claims that both Hodge and Hebard “engaged in intentional conduct resulting in one or more of the following effects: physical injury, mental injury, rape, sexual abuse, and/or sexual exploitation of Plaintiff.”
The civil suit was filed with the Chesterfield County court by the Cockrell Law Firm of Chesterfield, and asks for monetary compensation for future counseling services, economic hardship to be determined by the court, and punitive damages to be determined by the court.
— Staff Writer Karen Kissiah can be reached by calling 842-537-5261, or by email at kkissiah@heartlandpublications.com.
Post a Comment
