Boy Scouts Leader Accused of Grooming, Sexual Abuse: Lawsuit Alleges Systemic Failures
A devastating lawsuit has been filed against an adult Boy Scouts leader, accusing him of using his position to groom and sexually abuse a minor. The complaint also alleges that the organization failed to enforce basic safeguards designed to prevent abuse.
The allegations center around John Steven Sorovetz, who served as an assistant scoutmaster with Troop 508 in Rockwood, Michigan. According to the lawsuit, Sorovetz employed well-recognized grooming techniques and abused his power to harass and attempt to sexually abuse a child under the age of 14.
The complaint alleges that Sorovetz used one-on-one access to isolate the child and normalize inappropriate behavior, including unwanted physical contact, sexually explicit conversations, and exposure to pornographic material. The lawsuit also claims that the Boy Scouts of America and its Michigan affiliate failed to properly supervise, train, and monitor adult leaders, leading to a pattern of grooming behavior.
The case reflects a broader failure by the organization to protect children, according to Todd Flood and Marc Lipton, who founded the law firm representing the family. "This case is about a betrayal of trust," they said in a statement. "It's about a youth organization failing to enforce the safeguards it promised to families. The Boy Scouts of America knew the danger. They wrote rules to protect children like our client. And then they failed to follow them. A child paid the price for that failure."
The lawsuit seeks damages for emotional distress, psychological harm, and other injuries, as well as allegations of gross negligence, negligence, and negligent hiring, retention, and supervision.
Sorovetz has not been charged but is under a criminal investigation, according to Flood Law. This case follows another high-profile scandal involving the Boy Scouts, where Mark Chapman was sentenced to 12 to 20 years in prison for allegedly sexually assaulting two boys as part of an investigation into sexual abuse within the organization.
The allegations against Sorovetz and other leaders raise serious questions about the organization's ability to protect children and prevent abuse. As the lawsuit continues, it remains to be seen whether the Boy Scouts of America will take meaningful steps to address these failures and ensure a safer environment for its members.
A devastating lawsuit has been filed against an adult Boy Scouts leader, accusing him of using his position to groom and sexually abuse a minor. The complaint also alleges that the organization failed to enforce basic safeguards designed to prevent abuse.
The allegations center around John Steven Sorovetz, who served as an assistant scoutmaster with Troop 508 in Rockwood, Michigan. According to the lawsuit, Sorovetz employed well-recognized grooming techniques and abused his power to harass and attempt to sexually abuse a child under the age of 14.
The complaint alleges that Sorovetz used one-on-one access to isolate the child and normalize inappropriate behavior, including unwanted physical contact, sexually explicit conversations, and exposure to pornographic material. The lawsuit also claims that the Boy Scouts of America and its Michigan affiliate failed to properly supervise, train, and monitor adult leaders, leading to a pattern of grooming behavior.
The case reflects a broader failure by the organization to protect children, according to Todd Flood and Marc Lipton, who founded the law firm representing the family. "This case is about a betrayal of trust," they said in a statement. "It's about a youth organization failing to enforce the safeguards it promised to families. The Boy Scouts of America knew the danger. They wrote rules to protect children like our client. And then they failed to follow them. A child paid the price for that failure."
The lawsuit seeks damages for emotional distress, psychological harm, and other injuries, as well as allegations of gross negligence, negligence, and negligent hiring, retention, and supervision.
Sorovetz has not been charged but is under a criminal investigation, according to Flood Law. This case follows another high-profile scandal involving the Boy Scouts, where Mark Chapman was sentenced to 12 to 20 years in prison for allegedly sexually assaulting two boys as part of an investigation into sexual abuse within the organization.
The allegations against Sorovetz and other leaders raise serious questions about the organization's ability to protect children and prevent abuse. As the lawsuit continues, it remains to be seen whether the Boy Scouts of America will take meaningful steps to address these failures and ensure a safer environment for its members.
This is utterly appalling - an entire system failing a child so catastrophically is just heartbreaking. The fact that a leader was able to use his position to groom and abuse a kid under the age of 14, exploiting the trust placed in him, is just devastating.
. I mean, I'm glad they're finally taking action against Sorovetz, but what really gets me is how the whole Boy Scouts thing seems to have been a revolving door for predators. I remember when I was a kid, the Boy Scouts were like, you know, the ultimate way to be a real American and learn stuff while having fun 
. But now it just feels like they're more concerned with covering their own behinds than actually doing what's right.
. I mean, I get it, we're all human and we make mistakes, but come on guys! You're supposed to be a organization that's supposed to protect kids, not enable serial abusers.
. And the Boy Scouts' failures are not just about one guy, they're systemic - they allegedly failed to enforce basic safeguards to prevent abuse, which is just a huge red flag 
.
The lawsuit is seeking damages for emotional distress, psychological harm, and other injuries... that's the least they should be doing - holding these people accountable and making sure something like this never happens again 
.
. We need more transparency and accountability from these groups... it's not good enough that they're saying "oh no, we didn't know" when something like this happens - they should've known! 
It's just awful that some sicko was able to use his position to groom and hurt these kids. And it's even more horrific when you think about all the other kids who might be out there being abused or vulnerable because of people like Sorovetz.
The fact that he's still free while kids are being hurt because of his actions is just sickening. Something needs to change, and fast!
. The fact that they're accusing them of using grooming techniques to manipulate and abuse a kid under 14? That's just wrong on every level 
.
... like someone wants to keep this whole thing under wraps so nobody can talk about it. But I'm not buying it, man. This is some serious BS.
this is just too much 
can't believe what's happening in the scouting community. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that they knew about these grooming techniques and failed to act on it. It's not like this is some isolated incident, there have been other cases like Mark Chapman before... how many more kids need to get hurt? 
I'm all for holding these people accountable, but at the same time, I feel so sorry for the child who went through this. 
. It's all about protecting their own reputation and image at this point, rather than actually doing what's best for the kids 
.
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. Like, how would you even know what those are? You'd think that with all the resources they have, they should be able to spot some weird behavior from a mile away. But apparently not.
. These kids need to feel safe and protected when they're in these programs. And it's not just about the Boy Scouts either... I think there are some bigger issues here that we need to be talking about