Idaho's 'Post Register' Uncovers Pedophiles Among Boy Scout Officials

By: (AP) Molestation allegations continue to emerge against Boy Scout officials who worked under the current Grand Teton Council leadership.

An investigation by the Post Register (Idaho) newspaper found allegations against at least three men who worked with eastern Idaho Boy Scouts in the 1980s and 1990s.

Two of the men have already been convicted of their crimes. Camp Little Lemhi counselor and staff supervisor Brad Stowell was arrested in 1997 and confessed to molesting dozen of boys, many of them scouts. Though court documents in his case were sealed, the Post Register fought the matter in court and they were released to the public earlier this year.

Former Camp Little Lemhi counselor Jeff Hardin was convicted of lewd conduct for molesting in 1991 a Chubbuck boy he first got to know at the Boy Scout camp. Records of that case were also unsealed in May.

Now, a new sworn statement filed Friday in Bannock County court alleges that another camp counselor raped a 15-year-old Eagle Scout in 1983.

The statement, filed by former Boy Scout Jeff Bird in support of a lawsuit brought by younger Scouts against the Grand Teton Council, alleges that counselor Dennis Empey mutilated animals, showed off his firearms and then raped Bird at the Island Park Scout Camp.

The newspaper made repeated efforts for more than a month to reach Empey by phone and e-mail, but Empey did not respond to the paper's requests for comment.

Bird, who contacted the newspaper to share his story, said he twice reported the rape -- the first time within days of the incident to then-Island Park Scout Camp director Kim Hansen, the second time a decade later to a Mormon church official.

Hansen, who now holds the top job in the Grand Teton Council, was less than supportive, Bird said.

"I was still quite scared, shaky and was tearing up as I spoke to him. I told him that when Dennis and I were alone, Dennis had me stay in his tent. I told him that Dennis had touched me in a bad way," Bird said. "Kim Hansen was very stern with me and told me that he appreciated my 'efforts as a staffer' and would really like to hire me again next year, but part of the decision about who to hire would be made on how well I could get along with others at the camp.

"To my knowledge, Kim Hansen did not notify the Scouting organizations or the sheriff's office about what had happened to me," Bird said.

Hansen refused to comment on those allegations.

Bird stopped scouting, and about a decade later revealed the alleged abuse to the Mormon official, who is currently serving an overseas mission and could not be reached -- reportedly put Bird in contact with a Utah detective who was investigating another allegation against Empey.

But the Provo, Utah detective, Dave Bolda, does not remember hearing from Bird.

In May 1991, Empey was arrested in Utah for allegedly molesting children. In those cases, Empey was accused of flashing a gun before sodomizing his victims. He pleaded guilty to three felonies -- two counts of forcible sodomy on a child and one count of sexual abuse of a child.

Empey was sentenced to probation on Oct. 8, 1991, and two years later moved back home to eastern Idaho.

But despite his conviction, Empey was apparently able to continue working for the Scouts.

A search of the Grand Teton Council Web site revealed a photo of a mountain canyon bearing a "Dennis Empey 2002" copyright mark.

When asked why a convicted pedophile was supplying material to the Grand Teton Council, Hansen wrote in a May 13 letter: "In recent years, Dennis Empey donated graphic designs to the council. All materials were sent by either electronic means or mail. He has not been in our office and has not had any volunteer positions."

Hansen's boss, Grand Teton Executive Council President David Smith, said June 9 that the council had paid Empey for the supplies he used to make pictures and designs. Smith also said the council had just severed its business relationship with Empey, and that the man did not have any contact with children.

Jeff Bird mentioned Empey's Web work in the court papers he filed Friday.

"When I found out that Empey was still alive and still employed by the Scouts, I was terrified not only for my own personal safety, but for all the hundreds of boys who attend Scout camp in the Grand Teton Council each year," he said in a sworn statement.

Empey is not registered as a sex offender in Idaho or Utah.

Bird's statement was made in support of a lawsuit brought against the Grand Teton Council by other scouts.

So far, the council has settled two lawsuits brought by Scouts molested by former camp counselor Brad Stowell. Parties to the lawsuits aren't allowed to say how much the Grand Teton Council paid.

Grand Teton Council executive Kim Hansen has maintained that that Scout leaders couldn't have done anything to stop Stowell because the counselor was too slick. Court records have indicated, however, that the council was warned several times about Stowell's behavior.