A new lawsuit accuses a former Boy Scouts leader of abusing two children in Western New York. WIVB reports Hamburg resident Michael Meyers faces severe charges of endangering the welfare of a child, course of sexual conduct against a child, and second and third-degree sexual abuse. Meyers could spend up to seven years in prison if convicted for these alleged crimes.
According to prosecutors, Meyers, 58, allegedly engaged in sexual conduct with a child between December 2015 and August 2019. The child was only 11 in 2015, says the District Attorney’s Office.
Not only is Meyers accused of these crimes, but he is accused of engaging in sexual conduct with a teenager from May 2016 through September 2019. The teen was 13 when the abuse began, prosecutors say.
WIVB indicates that while the investigation was underway, Meyers served in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) on the executive board for the Greater Niagara Frontier Council. Also, he previously served as the council’s President.
Meyers is scheduled to appear in court on November 5, 2020, and orders of protection have been issued for bot both of the minors in this case. Meyers was initially arrested December over these allegations.
While these allegations against Meyers are not affiliated with his role in the BSA, his charges come in the midst of massive litigation against the youth organization over claims that the BSA failed to protect children from sexual predators in the Scouts. The BSA filed for bankruptcy in February 2020 and has since been working towards setting up a compensation plan to compensate victims of sexual abuse in the Scouts. Most recently, the BSA bankruptcy court set a bar claims deadline for survivors of Scouting to file claims against the organization for their abuse. The deadline has been set for November 16, 2020; after this deadline passes, no more claims can be filed against the BSA.