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For the worried New York mother, her young son's story of how his scout leader undressed and unveiled a rude version of "Hakuna Matata" in front of the boys was a big red flag indicating something did not go to Troop 95.
According to a sworn statement that the mother signed and filed with the Supreme Court of Dutchess County, Michael Kelsey would have interpreted the song "The lion king", "swirling hips and swaying penis" on April 13, 2012, in a locker room swimming "in a pool in Millbrook, New York.
"All this happened not only in front of my son, but also in front of the other boys present at the time," said the woman in the affidavit.
When she complained, a maid assured her that "Mr. Kelsey's behavior was a serious problem and Troop 95 would investigate. "
But shortly thereafter, the mother told NBC News that she had received a call from the leader of the troops, Richard Robbins, who had let her shake her head in disbelief.
"He basically told me that he talked to the other boys and they did not see or hear anything," she said. "He said my son may have misunderstood what he saw. I said, "My son misunderstood a naked man who was singing" Hakuna Matata? "
Four years later, Kelsey, who was then legislator in Dutchess County in New York, was convicted of sexually abusing two 15-year-old scouts during a camping trip. ;a night.
At present, this affidavit is part of a $ 320 million civil lawsuit filed in March 2017 by the parents of the two boys. He accuses the Boy Scouts of America of being "grossly careless, reckless and reckless in their possession, management, control, maintenance and upkeep".
NBC News, at the request of parents who try to preserve the anonymity of their sons, does not identify him by name. It also does not identify the name of the worried mother who filed the affidavit and who, like the others, lives in Dutchess County.
"These examples demonstrate a culture among Scouts of America that is to not focus on their own policies," said the father of one of the teenagers at NBC News during a lengthy phone interview . "They had to report this the minute they found out. Instead, they did not do anything.
"It's my position that they protect theirs," the other teen's mother told NBC News in the same phone interview. "Everything was shh, hush."
And to ensure that this does not happen to other Scouts, parents have called for a bill that would oblige Scout leaders and others working with youth organizations to immediately contact order if they hear about alleged sexual assault. .
The BSA, however, insisted in a statement to NBC News that the claim "Hakuna Matata" had been investigated and that it did not involve Kelsey at all.
"The incident involved a youngster who had behaved inappropriately, without addressing another youngster, during a Scouting activity," says the statement from the BSA. "The behavior of the adolescent was immediately taken into account by the direction of the unit at the time of the incident."
The youth was not identified by name and the statement did not indicate if he was a scout.
Questioned directly by NBC News about this incident, a spokesman for BSA refused to go beyond what was said in the release.
The father of one of the 15-year-olds told NBC News by email that he was "not surprised".
"This is their position since the beginning of the crisis," he wrote. "They never provided evidence of an investigation other than the fact that the son of (the worried mother) was mistaken."
The lawsuit, in which Kelsey represents himself even though he was struck off after his conviction, comes as the BSA fights against hundreds of other lawsuits in the country while former ones scouts had made allegations of abuse.
Scouting has repeatedly emphasized that the time when they failed to prevent predators from joining the ranks was over. The angry mother of one of the abused teenagers said that screening was still a magnet for pedophiles.
"What happened to our sons is proof that they are not doing enough," the woman said. "If the boys did not show up to us, we would never have known."
At the time, Kelsey was "a rising star" in the politics of the local Republican Party. He also ran a company called Away Adventures, which offered kayaking and camping trips for children and adults.
The parents of the abused teenagers said that their sons had even campaigned for Kelsey, but did not think his status as a prominent politician was why he had been allowed to continue as scoutmaster after the fight. 39, incident of "Hakuna Matata".
"Kelsey has been part of the troupe since the age of 11," said the mother of one of the abused teens. "He knew all the council members of the Hudson Valley."
"He was very much appreciated by everyone in the troupe and by the scout leader Rich Robbins," said the father of the other abused teenager. "In fact, Robbins had been his scout leader."
NBC News has called Robbins' lawyer, William Frame, for comment. He did not answer a phone call. Robbins also could not be contacted for comment.
Kelsey, 41, is currently being held at the Marcy Detention Center in the state of New York. NBC News asked him by email to comment.
But Kelsey, who has been banned from BSA, continues to maintain her innocence. In July, his attempt to obtain the quashing of his conviction was denied, according to court records.
Robbins, the Hudson Regional Council of the BSA, and the Our Savior Lutheran Church in Fishkill, NY, which sponsors the troupe, are also mentioned. The BSA and the other persons named in the case do not appear to have filed an official response following a search of the uniform New York State judicial system.
The lawsuit alleges that the BSA failed to control Kelsey when she was appointed scoutmaster assistant. He indicates that the Scouting organization should have been aware of his "trends" by allowing him to accompany their sons in August 2014 during a trip to the Cranberry Lake Campground, in the St. Lawrence County, New York.
Prosecutors said that was where Kelsey acted for 10 to 20 minutes on the genitals of one of the scouts while the teenager tried to sleep in the scout master's Volkswagen Jetta.
Kelsey later tried to do the same to the other 15-year-old, but the sleeping scout took her hand off, prosecutors said.
The parents of the abused teenagers said that the boys had not told them what had happened until months later.
They said that the boys were first told about what Kelsey had done to them in September 2014.
"They did not tell us," said the mother who was pursuing. "They formulated a plan to inform another master scout assistant whom they trusted, who then went directly to the scout leader and told him."
Robbins reportedly suspended Kelsey for a year, but he did not inform the rest of the troupe or the parents, the parents said.
Meanwhile, Kelsey continued to show up at Scouting events and parties where he mingled with the boys, they said.
It was not until December 13, 2014 that one of the boys finally told his parents what happened during the camping trip, they said.
"The four parents immediately went to the Scout leader's home and one of the first things he said was," I'm so glad the boys told you, "said the mother of a abused adolescents.
"I was furious," she says. "I said that if my son broke his arm, you would not tell me? He said, "Of course." So my son was assaulted and you do not tell me? "
The angry father said he asked Robbins if the BSA asked them to report any alleged cases of sexual abuse.
"He said yes, but he said that the boys told him to say nothing and that he had to think about who his clients were and what that meant for his clients," said the father. "That was the word he used, customers."
Kelsey, said the parents, had never worried them before. They said that Kelsey organized all kinds of fun outdoor activities, such as camping and kayaking trips for scouts.
"He was very appreciated by all members of the troupe," said the father.
The mother said: "On the surface, it was all that all the parents were hoping for a mentor.Our children had fun with him.But, again, if you look at the profile of a child molesters, they do not look like the monsters they are, they manipulate the victims, they manipulate the families. "
After talking with Robbins, the parents announced they had called a friend, a police officer from the state of New York. An infiltration operation was then launched, revealed judicial files.
Records indicate that when the boys hesitated to make a recorded call to Kelsey, the mother of one of the victims volunteered to do so.
"He admitted to trying to assault my son," she told NBC News. "He said that he thought he was in love with my son. He also admitted to molesting (the other teenager) and having these feelings all the time and being able to control himself. "
That was enough for the state police to issue an arrest warrant against him.
When his case was decided in 2016, Kelsey insisted in an opening statement that he was innocent and in crisis at the time of this appeal. He told the court that his family had a history of mental illness and that the girl's mother had "taken advantage of me" during the surreptitiously recorded phone call.
"I am here personally to tell you that I am not guilty of the crimes of which I am accused," he said. "I am not a pedophile. … I am not a pervert. "
Instead, Kelsey stated that he had been "abandoned" by boys and likened himself to Jesus, claiming that he was called to "suffer for the good of others" .
The two 15-year-old children appeared on the witness stand and testified that Kelsey had assaulted them and prepared the rest of the troupe. They also explained how Kelsey, during scouting trips, had led the boys to a game called "padiddle", during which "the lost player would remove a garment," according to court records.
Prosecutors also broadcast the recorded phone call in which Kelsey could be heard: "I tended it in a place I should not have had".
In the end, the jury found Mr. Kelsey guilty of first-degree sexual violence, attempted first-degree violence, forced contact, and two counts of endangering a child's well-being. He was sentenced to five years in prison and ten years to release supervision.
Kelsey was running for reelection when he was charged and refused to end his campaign, even after the local GOP approved another candidate. He lost at the primary school.
The parents said they spent tens of thousands of dollars on therapy for their sons, siblings and themselves. They said that their boys had mostly left behind what had happened to them, but that the family still felt the aftershocks.
"When you're a victim of such a crime, it's like throwing a pebble into a pond," said the mother. "The repercussions are boys' loss of trust in people, loss of faith, parents who have to deal with betrayal of people who are considered friends, stress that occurs within the family."
The mother who filed the affidavit "Hakuna Matata" said that after being Kelsey's complaint, she had felt ostracized by some of the other parents. She therefore removed her son from Troop 95.
"I never took my son back after that," she said. "It was very unfair, especially for my son. He really wanted to be a scout of the eagle. "
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