CONCORD, N.C. (WJZY) - A Concord man formerly affiliated with the Boy Scouts was arrested for a sex crime against a child.
Concord Police said they know there are more victims of Ricky Lynn McClellan, 66, and they have spoken with other victims and witnesses and that at least one other person plans to pursue charges.
Investigators arrested McClellan. He’s charged with one count of indecent liberties with a minor. Police said McClellan and a child went to the movies next to Carolina Mall together and then someone called to report suspicious activity with McClellan and a child behind a dumpster near the mall.
Detectives said McClellan is a friend of the victim’s family. Concord Police said McClellan could have been victimizing children as far back as the late 1980s and that he claims to have been involved with the Boy Scouts for 40 years.
Investigators said McClellan was connected with the Boy Scouts as recently as December 2020.
Stuart Williams, Scout Executive and CEO of the Central North Carolina Council of the Boy Scouts of America released the following statement:
The behavior attributed to this individual is reprehensible and goes against everything for which the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) stands. While Mr. McClellan was not registered in our programs at the time of his arrest and the charges are unrelated to Scouting, we took immediate action to ban him from any future participation in the BSA.
We will fully cooperate with law enforcement on their investigation and encourage anyone who knows of or suspects abuse to immediately report it to police.
Nothing is more important than the safety and protection of children in our Scouting programs — it is our top priority. The BSA has some of the strongest youth protection policies found in any youth-serving organization, which are informed by respected experts in the fields of child safety, law enforcement, and child psychology.
Our multi-layered safeguards include the following measures, all of which act as barriers to abuse: mandatory youth protection training for all volunteers and employees; a leadership policy that requires at least two youth-protection trained adults be present with youth at all times during Scouting activities and bans one-on-one situations where adults would have any interaction alone with children — either in person, online, or via phone or text; a thorough screening process for adult leaders and staff including criminal background checks; a ban on the use of recording devices/cell phones near bathrooms and shower houses; and the prompt mandatory reporting of any allegation or suspicion of abuse to law enforcement. The BSA also offers a 24/7 Scouts First Helpline (1-844-SCOUTS1) and email contact address (scouts1st@scouting.org) for help reporting suspected abuse or inappropriate behavior.
For more information about the BSA’s youth protection policies, please visit Scouting.org/YouthSafety.
Police said McClellan’s victims are 12-years-old and under and that he was also associated with the Girl Scouts, but they’re still working to learn more about the exact connection.
If you have any information that may help in the investigation, call Captain John Tierney at the Concord Police Department at 704-920-5065.
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