Hudson Valley Council ignores BSA Youth Protection Policy

[RememberSchiff]

Update:

Oct 21, 2016: (Michael) Kelsey, a former Dutchess County legislator convicted of sexual abuse in a case involving two Boy Scouts, was sentenced to seven years in prison and 10 years post-release supervision Friday.

...

The 38-year-old former assistant scoutmaster was found guilty in May of first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree attempted sexual abuse, both felonies, along with forcible touching and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, all misdemeanors.

Kelsey’s victims were two 15-year-old boys in 2014. During the trial, the young men testified Kelsey touched one of them and attempted to touch the other while they were sleeping during a Boy Scout camping trip at the Cranberry Lake State Campground in August 2014.

Both teens spoke up in St. Lawrence County Court on Friday before Judge Felix Catena, who presided over Kelsey’s trial. The teens asked the judge to sentence Kelsey to the maximum punishment — 11 years in prison.

...

Kelsey is classified as a sex offender and will have to register accordingly, Catena said. A risk assessment will be conducted prior to Kelsey’s release from prison to determine how long he will have to be registered as a sex offender.

link with more info.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/2016/10/21/kelsey-sentenced-7-years-boy-scout-sex-abuse-case/92516600/

I found no mention of Hudson Valley Council being present at sentencing or having any comment.

Edited September 14, 2019 by RememberSchiff
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[RememberSchiff]

Update Feb 27,2017

Michael N. Kelsey, 38, a Dutchess County lawyer and former county legislatort, was automatically disbarred last May when he was convicted of sexual assault charges in St. Lawrence County.

On Feb. 22, the state Appellate Court, second department, affirmed the disbarment and ordered that his name be removed from the state roll of attorneys.

A county court jury found Kelsey guilty of sexual abuse, attempted sexual assault, forcible touching and endangering the welfare of children.

He was sentenced to seven years in prison, and for the past four months he has been an inmate at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora.

Kelsey was admitted to practicing law in 2009. He was serving as a county legislator for the 25^th district when he was arrested in 2014.

http://westfaironline.com/86290/ny-state-court-upholds-disbarment-of-dutchess-county-lawyer/

Edited September 14, 2019 by RememberSchiff
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[RememberSchiff]

Update: March 16, Found guilty in criminal case and now the civil case.

Fast forward to March 2017. It's been about 10 months since Kelsey was found guilty of first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree attempted sexual abuse, both felonies, along with forcible touching and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, all misdemeanors. Kelsey, 38, is serving his seven year prison sentence (plus a decade of post-release supervision).

And the families of the two teens young men who both testified, during the trial, that they had trusted and looked up to Kelsey, which made his actions even more inexcusable have launched a $320 million civil lawsuit against Kelsey, Troop 95's former Scoutmaster Rich Robbins and the Boy Scouts of America organization at local and national levels.

For nearly two months, the Boy Scouts of America, including its Hudson Valley Council and Robbins, knew about the accusations against Kelsey, but did not alert authorities or the teens' families, according to the lawsuit, filed March 16 in the New York State Supreme Court in Dutchess County.

...

The Boy Scouts of America and Hudson Valley Council say national protocols were followed and immediate action was taken to remove Kelsey from the Scouts. Robbins could not be reached for comment. Kelsey plans to appeal his criminal conviction. His lawyer, Shane Hug, could not be reached for comment.

Kelsey was suspended from the Scouts in October 2014, state police have said. But neither the boys' families, the police, or other Troop 95 families knew about the abuse or Kelsey's suspension until the teens told their parents that December.

"The Boy Scout organization never reported anything until after they were confronted by the parents of the victims," said state police Senior Investigator Timothy Peets in September.

The Boy Scouts obviously thought the allegations were serious enough to suspend Kelsey, said Edward's father, *John. And Kelsey was not "some guy who had just joined the troop — this is a life-long, prominent figure within the Boy Scout organization. But you don’t think it warrants calling the authorities or at least notifying the parents?"

...

more at source link

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/2017/03/23/local-families-boy-scouts-failed-sons-sexual-abuse-case/99409696/

Edited September 14, 2019 by RememberSchiff
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[RememberSchiff]

Update 9/14/2019:  Hakuna Matata, au naturel and alleged BSA inaction.

More incredible details at source: 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/boy-scout-leader-sang-hakuna-matata-while-naked-organization-didn-n1048526

Edited September 14, 2019 by RememberSchiff

[Buggie]

This article hits some of the key notes of YPT in that it talks about grooming. Not only of the kids, but conditioning the adults views. It also emphasised one of the big reasons folks don't follow through with reporting. In this case the abuser was well known and admired/liked (the conditioning I spoke of). Lastly it brings up a situation that makes things like this very difficult to report, the power/authority the abuser can have on the community. And a community can be large as a city/region/state or as small as the scouting council/district/troop. 

We can never relax in our review of everyone around us. We must watch and ensure that YPT is constantly followed. It can be as simple as seeing where another adult needs some backup because by accident they wandered out of range into a 1 on 1 situation or a scout wandered into a 1 on 1. It can happen very innocently enough. I do this for my scouters and they do this for me. I like to think of it as an adult buddy system.

The most important thing I pray for is that we have the courage and bravery to follow through and do the reporting. Especially when it is a friend who violated the rules. Even when doing so could destroy us. People are known to vigorously defend the accused even to the point of willful blindness of the evidence.

The consequences of not following YPT are destructive to those we are trusted to protect. 

Edited September 14, 2019 by Buggie
Spelling

[T2Eagle]

I will never understand this Sm's decision making.  By his own admission he "suspended" the violating adult.  None of us should think we can handle something even remotely like this on our own.

[RememberSchiff]

On 3/23/2017 at 7:14 AM, RememberSchiff said:

Update: March 16, Found guilty in criminal case and now the civil case.

Fast forward to March 2017. It's been about 10 months since Kelsey was found guilty of first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree attempted sexual abuse, both felonies, along with forcible touching and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, all misdemeanors. Kelsey, 38, is serving his seven year prison sentence (plus a decade of post-release supervision).

And the families of the two teens young men who both testified, during the trial, that they had trusted and looked up to Kelsey, which made his actions even more inexcusable have launched a $320 million civil lawsuit against Kelsey, Troop 95's former Scoutmaster Rich Robbins and the Boy Scouts of America organization at local and national levels.

For nearly two months, the Boy Scouts of America, including its Hudson Valley Council and Robbins, knew about the accusations against Kelsey, but did not alert authorities or the teens' families, according to the lawsuit, filed March 16 in the New York State Supreme Court in Dutchess County.

...

The Boy Scouts of America and Hudson Valley Council say national protocols were followed and immediate action was taken to remove Kelsey from the Scouts. Robbins could not be reached for comment. Kelsey plans to appeal his criminal conviction. His lawyer, Shane Hug, could not be reached for comment.

Kelsey was suspended from the Scouts in October 2014, state police have said. But neither the boys' families, the police, or other Troop 95 families knew about the abuse or Kelsey's suspension until the teens told their parents that December.

"The Boy Scout organization never reported anything until after they were confronted by the parents of the victims," said state police Senior Investigator Timothy Peets in September.

The Boy Scouts obviously thought the allegations were serious enough to suspend Kelsey, said Edward's father, *John. And Kelsey was not "some guy who had just joined the troop — this is a life-long, prominent figure within the Boy Scout organization. But you don’t think it warrants calling the authorities or at least notifying the parents?"

...

more at source link

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/2017/03/23/local-families-boy-scouts-failed-sons-sexual-abuse-case/99409696/

Update May 6, 2022:

Former Dutchess County Legislator Michael Kelsey (R-Pleasant Valley), convicted in 2016 for sexually abusing boy scouts in 2014, has been released from prison.  The former lawmaker was released on Thursday, May 5, 2022.

Kelsey, 38 at the time was found guilty on May 12, 2016, on all counts of a felony indictment charging him with sexual abuse and attempted sexual assault.  He also was indicted on misdemeanor counts of forcible touching and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

A jury determined that Kelsey had sexual contact with one teen and attempted to have sexual contact with a second between August 13 and 20, 2014, when he was leading a Boy Scout troop from Fishkill on a week-long 50-mile hike and outdoor excursion. They stayed at upstate scout camps.

Upon his release from state prison in Hudson, he is under the supervision of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision’s Dutchess County office, with conditions.  His parole is scheduled to expire in 2032.

https://midhudsonnews.com/2022/05/06/former-dutchess-legislator-convicted-of-sex-crimes-released-from-prison/

 

[RememberSchiff]

On 5/6/2022 at 9:00 AM, RememberSchiff said:

Update May 6, 2022:

Former Dutchess County Legislator Michael Kelsey (R-Pleasant Valley), convicted in 2016 for sexually abusing boy scouts in 2014, has been released from prison.  The former lawmaker was released on Thursday, May 5, 2022.

Kelsey, 38 at the time was found guilty on May 12, 2016, on all counts of a felony indictment charging him with sexual abuse and attempted sexual assault.  He also was indicted on misdemeanor counts of forcible touching and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

A jury determined that Kelsey had sexual contact with one teen and attempted to have sexual contact with a second between August 13 and 20, 2014, when he was leading a Boy Scout troop from Fishkill on a week-long 50-mile hike and outdoor excursion. They stayed at upstate scout camps.

Upon his release from state prison in Hudson, he is under the supervision of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision’s Dutchess County office, with conditions.  His parole is scheduled to expire in 2032.

https://midhudsonnews.com/2022/05/06/former-dutchess-legislator-convicted-of-sex-crimes-released-from-prison/

 

Update Dec 20, 2023

 

CANTON, New York (WWNY) - New York state’s sex offender registry is being challenged in court by a former Boy Scout assistant scoutmaster and convicted sex offender Michael Kelsey.

“He’s challenging the constitutionality of the Sex Offenders Registry Act itself, indicating that the act as constructed deprived individuals of constitutional rights,” said St. Lawrence County Attorney Stephen Button.

Kelsey, convicted in 2016 of sexually abusing Boy Scouts at Camp Massawepie in the town of Piercefield, claims the sex offender registry infringes on his First Amendment rights, including his right to assembly and freedom of religion...

According to the state registry, Kelsey is a Level 2 sex offender, meaning the state thinks there’s a moderate risk of repeat offense. The registry also designated him as a sexually violent offender.

Kelsey is currently in the Dutchess County Jail. Officials there say Kelsey was brought in on December 5 on an alleged parole violation.

More at source:

https://www.wwnytv.com/2023/12/19/convicted-sex-offender-suing-slc-state-over-registry/