Newark man charged with sexually assaulting Boy Scout in Elkton troop 30 years ago: police
The Newark Police Department said it has charged a former Boy Scouts of America leader from Newark with sexually assaulting one of his Scouts hundreds of times between 1989 and 1992.
Court documents obtained by Delaware Online/The News Journal state that 66-year-old Gary Matta continuously abused a Scout in his Elkton, Maryland, troop whom he later gained guardianship over starting when the boy was 12 years old. The Boy Scouts of America began investigating allegations of sexual abuse by Matta in 2017, according to court documents, and notified Newark police of the investigation in early 2020.
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The Boy Scouts of America filed for bankruptcy in 2020 following lawsuits settling over 80,000 allegations of child sexual abuse by troop leaders nationwide, including those based in Delaware and Maryland.
In Matta's case, court records show a Scout in his troop started spending weekends at his house when he was 12, one year after joining the Boy Scouts of America. Matta, then 32, groomed the boy, giving him food, games and even drugs, according to court documents. Court documents also state that the other boys who spent regular time with Matta or lived with him saw him as a father figure.
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For the then 12-year-old, the sexual abuse began immediately, court records state, and grew even more frequent when Matta became the boy's guardian. "Anytime that the abuse could occur ... it occurred," the former Scout told police.
Other boys regularly stayed with Matta as well, and court records show that Matta made sexual advances on at least one of them.
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When questioned by police, Matta denied any sexual abuse, according to court records. He described his relationship with the boy as "friendly," and said that the boy never slept in his bed when they lived together — a fact disputed by both the then 12-year-old boy he abused and another boy who was also staying with Matta at the time, who told police he saw the 12-year-old stay in Matta's bed at least 550 times, according to the records.
The abuse continued for three years, stopping when the boy turned 15, according to court records. He told police that he disclosed the abuse to counselors and primary care doctors, but it was not reported to the Boy Scouts of America until he confided in someone in 2017.
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When Matta was arrested on Wednesday, he was charged with four counts of unlawful sexual intercourse in the first degree — Delaware law's designation for rape when the assault occurred — as well as unlawful sexual contact in the second degree and indecent exposure.
He has been incarcerated at Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on a $201,500 bail.
Anyone with information about this incident, or believes that they may have been a victim, is asked to contact Sgt. G. Micolucci at 302-366-7100, ext. 3412, or gmicolucci@newark.de.us.
How to get help
National Suicide Hotline: 800-273-8255; en español 800-273-8255
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for crisis support
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-4673
National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453
Team HOPE (free support for survivors of sexual abuse and their families): 866-305-4673
Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on Twitter at @h_edelman.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Elkton Boy Scout troop leader charged with molesting former scout
