NJ Man Who Killed his Scout Leader Sues Boys Scouts Over His Rape

A man who killed the Scout leader he accused of raping him as a boy is now suing the Boy Scouts of America claiming the group hid the presence of sexual predators for years.

Clark Fredericks repeatedly stabbed and killed former scout leader Dennis Pegg, who Fredericks says raped him when he was 12 years old.

Fredericks, who lives in Sussex County, said he "did everything wrong" — not just the 2012 killing of Dennis Pegg, to which he ultimately pleaded guilty on a deal that reduced his murder charge to passion provocation/manslaughter — but in keeping the traumatic incident a secret for decades. He was released from state prison in 2017 and is now a motivational speaker.

"Secrecy is what killed me, secrecy is what kills others — the shame and the secrecy," he said in an interview last year with New Jersey 101.5.

The New Jersey Herald reported that the lawsuit says the Boy Scouts of America knew before 1972 about child predators, including Pegg, and misrepresented its group as being safe for children.

Fredericks, who was a scout from 1972-1978, believes that had the BSA taken action against sexual predators within their ranks, Pegg never would have been able to abuse him.

The nonprofit organization says it takes reports of abuse seriously and believes victims.

In response to lawsuits filed by other former scouts claiming abuse by scout leaders, the organization this week pointed out that it "has taken significant steps over many years to ensure that we respond aggressively and effectively to reports of sexual abuse"

"We believe victims and remove individuals based on only allegations of inappropriate behavior," the organization said in a written statement. "We recognize, however, that there were some instances in our organization’s history when cases were not addressed in a manner consistent with our commitment to protect Scouts, the values of our organization, and the procedures we have in place today."