Boy Scout leader sexually assaulted 12-year-old scout hundreds of times, DE cops say
A former Boy Scout leader sexually assaulted one of his scouts soon after the 12-year-old joined the national youth organization over 30 years ago, Delaware police said.
Gary Matta, of Newark, Delaware, is accused of sexually assaulting the boy hundreds of times at his home between 1989 through 1992, according to the Newark Police Department.
Matta, 66, was arrested on April 20 on charges including four counts of first-degree unlawful sexual intercourse, second degree unlawful sexual contact and first-degree indecent exposure, police said in an April 21 news release.
“The crime of (unlawful sexual intercourse) was subsequently changed to rape by the Delaware Legislature, but crimes are charged under the state law in effect at the time of the offense,” police said.
The case against Matta stems from how he became the boy’s scout leader in 1989, according to police who said the child began regularly visiting Matta’s home afterward.
Eventually, the child moved in with Matta after he became the child’s legal guardian due to the boy’s “family situation at the time,” police said.
Authorities issued an arrest warrant for Matta on April 19 following “extensive interviews and investigation, according to police.
A judge ordered Matta to be held on a $201,500 cash bail after he appeared in court, according to the release.
He’s still in custody at Howard R. Young Correctional Institution as of the morning of April 24, records show.
Information on Matta’s legal representation wasn’t specified by authorities.
Newark police are asking anyone who may have any related information on Matta, or anyone else who believes they are an additional victim, to contact Sgt. G. Micolucci at (302) 366-7100 x. 3412 or gmicolucci@newark.de.us.
Newark is about 50 miles northwest of Dover.
Abuse in Boy Scouts of America
On April 19, the Boy Scouts of America announced the establishment of a $2.4 billion Victims Compensation Trust Fund to compensate those who’ve survived abuse within the organization.
In announcing the news, the organization said it has “emerged” from bankruptcy.
“Our hope is that our Plan of Reorganization will bring some measure of peace to survivors of past abuse in Scouting, whose bravery, patience and willingness to share their experiences has moved us beyond words,” Chief Scout Executive Roger Mosby said in a statement.
Nearly 5,000 cases of sexual abuse within the Boy Scouts of America since 1947 were revealed in an investigation into court records by the Los Angeles Times, according to the newspaper.
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