Former Tarrant County Boy Scoutmaster Arrested On Allegation Of Indecency With A Child
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) — A former Tarrant County Boy Scouts scoutmaster has been arrested on an allegation of indecency with a child Thursday.
Sixty-year-old Brett Hall was a scoutmaster 2006-2013 with Tarrant County Troops 205 and 214, the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office said.
Officials said the allegation doesn't involve a child in Boy Scouts, but the nature and case facts "give concern for additional victims."
The Boy Scouts of America has since released the following statement:
"We are shocked and disgusted at this described behavior, which is reprehensible and runs counter to everything for which the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) stands.
While this incident is unrelated to Scouting and Mr. Hall has not been registered as a BSA volunteer for several years, upon learning of these reports we took immediate action to prohibit him from any future participation in our programs.
Nothing is more important than the safety and protection of children in our Scouting programs – it is our top priority. The BSA has a multi-layered process of safeguards informed by experts, including the following, all of which act as barriers to abuse: a leadership policy that requires at least two youth-protection trained adults be present with youth at all times and bans one-on-one situations where adults would have any interactions alone with children – either in person, online, or via text; a thorough screening process for adult leaders and staff including criminal background checks, and the prompt mandatory reporting of any allegation or suspicion of abuse."
The BSA can be reached at 1-844-SCOUTS1 or scouts1st@scouting.org for those seeking counseling or help needed to report any suspected abuse or inappropriate behavior.