What Went Wrong? (The Scoutmaster's Secret)

If you don't think that society is somehow complicit in crimes against children, you should acquaint yourself with the story of Charles "Jack" Walls, a pedophile who destroyed the lives of numerous children in the town of Lonoke, Arkansas. He was a Scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America, who gained the boys' confidence, choosing as his victims,boys who were already vulnerable and susceptible. Boys who were looking for a mentor and who looked up to him as a father figure. He gave them alcohol, showed them pornography and took advantage of them sexually.

One boy, Heath Stocks, has been in prison with a life sentence since 1997 for murdering his parents and his sister. Heath Stocks says that he was in effect brainwashed by Walls and he also says that Walls actually told him to commit the murders. Heath Stocks was Walls "favorite." His story is so very sad and tragic, and is made even worse by the fact that prior to the murders, another boy, Doug Hogan, had come forward in the town and told his parents about Jack Walls' attempt to have sex with him. That boy's parents did not press charges at first. They offered Walls the chance to resign from the Boy Scouts and get therapy, but Walls did not. They then pressed charges but Walls was acquitted as Doug Hogan was made to look like a liar, not only by adult character witnesses for Walls, but by boys who Walls was still abusing. Walls was kicked out of the Boy Scouts but continued to cultivate a select group of boys.

This case seems to be almost the opposite of cases where small children are coached to give false abuse testimony. Kids who were old enough to be credible in court did not feel safe enough to tell the truth.