Source: Former Boy Scout sues Mormon church for sexual abuse Channel: CNN Published: March 23, 2015 | Archived: May 24, 2026

Video: Former Boy Scout sues Mormon church for sexual abuse
Channel: CNN
Published: March 23, 2015
Duration: 9:09
Views: 179,891
Category: News & Politics
Video ID: TWEfD1YDxgU

Description

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and The Boy Scouts of America are facing a lawsuit from a former Boy Scout who over alleged sexual abuse at a church-sponsored Scouting trip. CNN’s Kyra Phillips reports.

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CNN News CNN TV CNN Newsroom Legal View boy scout mormon church lds boy scout lawsuit sexual abuse mormon suit legal view kyra phillips vance hein child abuse boy scouts of america default

Transcript — YouTube panel (human-authored)

0:03 HIM. INVESTIGATING CORRESPONDENT KYRA PHILLIPS HAVE THAT STORY. >> VANS WAS A SOUT MEMBER, RESPECTED MEMBER OF THE MORMON CHURCH AND NOW A CONVICTED PEDOPHILE. >> I AM CORRECT THAT YOU ON OCCASION WOULD TIE MELVIN UP? >> YES. >> HE FOOLED EVERYONE. >> AT THIS POINT I STARTED CRYING. >> WHY WERE YOU CRYING? >> ASHAMED, SHARED, I’M 14 YEARS OLD IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE WITH VANS AND HE’S ASKING ME TO REMO MY CLOTHES.

0:30 I FELT LIKE IT WAS WRONG. >> FOR YEARS THE CLUES WERE THERE, EVIDENCE DISCOUNTED. EVEN A STATE TROOPER WROTE IN A POLICE REPORT HE BELIEVED VANCE HINE RUZ A SEXUAL PREDATOR. BUT FOR THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA AND THE MORMON CHURCH, THOSE WARNING SIGNS WERE MISSED. MELVIN NOVAK WAS FIVE YEARS OLD WHEN HE MET VANCE HINE AT CHURCH. BUT IT WAS HERE AT CAMP HORSESHOE WHEN HE BECAME HIS SCOUT LEADER.

1:06 THEY BECAME CLOSE. >> HE ALWAYS HAD SOMETHING I WANTED, WHETHER IT WAS SPENDING TIME WITH ME, WHETHER IT WAS BUYING SOMETHING COOL THAT A KID WOULD WANT, TAKING YOU PLACES KIDS WOULD WANT TO GO, TAKING SPECIAL INTEREST IN ME, BASICALLY NOTING ME. >> YEARS OF WHAT NOVAK AND HIS FAMILY THOUGHT WAS A LOVING MENTORSHIP. BUT THAT ALL CHANGED WHEN HOOIN ASKED HIM TO JOIN A SECRET CLUB, A QUOTE BROTHERHOOD.

1:30 >> HE SAID I’M PART OF AN ORGANIZATION THAT’S DEEPER INTO THE BOY SCOUTS. IT’S JOURNEY THAT WOULD BUILD WITH YOU AND ME A BOND TOGETHER. >> AN ABUSIVE JOURNEY THAT OCCURRED AT HINE’S HOME AND HEAR AT BOY SCOTT CAMP. >> HE FOUND A TWIG IN THE WOODS AND JUST USED THAT TO SMACK ME AND A LOT OF TIMES HIT ME IN THE GENITALS. >> HOWEVER THAT RITUAL WAS JUST A COVERUP FOR A COME ON THAT CULMINATED IN A HOTEL ROOM. >> THERE’S ONE FINAL THING YOU NEED TO FULLY COMMIT TO ME AS YOUR BROTHER.

2:05 NOT JUST A SPIRIT GUIDE BUT AS HIS BROTHER IN THE BROTHERHOOD AND THAT’S WHEN HE GOT ON HIS KNEES AND STARTED TO GIVE ME ORAL. AND I JUST SAT THERE, YOU KNOW, TEARS ROLLING DOWN MY FACE, CRYING. >> 15 YEARS LATER NOVAK DECIDED TO SUE. ONE OF AT LEAST FIVE LAWSUITS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BLAMING NOT ONLY THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA BUT THE MORMON CHURCH FOR SEXUAL ABUSE THEY SUFFERED IN THE BOY SCOUTS.

2:36 THE LAWSUIT CHARGES VANCE HINE ACTIVITY GROOMED YOUNG BOYS UNDER HIS CHARGE FOR LATER SEXUAL MOLESTATION. >> THE LDS CHURCH KNEW THAT VANCE HINE, THIS PEDOPHILE WAS ALREADY KICKED OUT OF THE SCOUTING BY THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA. >> KICKED OUT, FIRED FROM HIS JOB AT THE BOY SCOUTS. AND HIS NAME ADDED TO ITS INELIGIBLE VOLUNTEER FILES, FILES OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE PERVERSION FILES.

3:04 BLACKLISTS OF SCOUT LEADERS SUSPECTED OF SEXUAL ABUSE OR HOMOSEXUALITY. THEY BECAME PUBLIC IN 2012. THIS IS VANCE HINE’S SO-CALLED PERVERSION FILE. IT INCLUDES A TERMINATION MEMO FROM THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA STATING HINE WAS AWARE OF HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVITY WHEN HE WAS CAMP DIRECTOR, WHICH IS AGAINST SCOUT RULES AND FAILED TO REPORT SUCH ACTIVITY. INCIDENTS INVOLVED A CAMP WORKER HE SUPERVISED WHO WAS SENT TO PRISON YEARS LATER FOR SEXUAL ASSAULTS ON MINORS.

3:43 IN ADDITION, THIS CRIME REPORT SAYS HINE HAD A SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT WORKER AND DELIBERATELY ACTED TO PREVENT HIS REMOVAL FROM THE CAMP STAFF, ALLOWING THE ABUSE TO CONTINUE. THE STATE TROOPER WHO WROTE THIS REPORT SAYS HE WANTED TO ARREST HINE FOR ENDANGERING CHILDREN BUT NO CHARGES FOR EVER FILED. HINE DESCRIBES HOW HE LURED AND ABUSED MELVIN NOVAK IN THIS DEPOSITION TAKEN LAST YEAR.

4:13 >> DID YOU TALK TO MELVIN ABOUT A JOURNEY THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO UNDERTAKE OF BROTHERHOOD? >> YES. >> WAS THAT YOUR WAY OF GROOMING HIM? >> YES. >> EVEN THOUGH HINE DIDN’T ADMIT TO THE ABUSE UNTIL YEARS LATER, IN BETWEEN THAT TIME HE WAS ABLE TO CONVINCE THE BOY SCOUTS TO REINSTATE HIM. HE HAD POWERFUL SUPPORTERS. THESE LETTERS WERE ALL WRITTEN ATTESTING TO VANCE HINE’S CHARACTER, INCLUDING THIS ONE FROM HINE’S INFLUENTIAL MORMON BISHOP, JACK MOYER.

4:46 IT SAYS, HINE IS A MEMBER OF MY CONGREGATION. I HAVE FULL FAITH AND TRUST IN HIM IN HIS DEALINGS WITH ALL OF OUR YOUNG MEN AT CHURCH. HE IS HIGHLY RESPECTED AND LIKED. IN A DEPOSITION BISHOP MOYER, WHO IS NOW RETIRED, ADMITS HE JUST DIDN’T DO ENOUGH DIGGING. >> IF YOU HAD IT TO DO ALL OVER AGAIN WOULD YOU HAVE DONE SOME INVESTIGATION? >> ABSOLUTELY. I WOULDN’T HAVE WRITTEN THE LETTER EITHER. >> THE BISHOPS ATTORNEY PUTS THE BLAME SOLELY ON THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA.

5:17 >> IF THE BOY SCOUTS HAD DISCLOSED TO BISHOP MOYER THE INFORMATION THEY HAD IN THEIR FILES, THERE WAS NO WAY THAT VANCE HINE WOULD HAVE EVER BECOME A SCOUT MASTER AND HE WOULD HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO EXCOMMUNICATION FROM THE CHURCH. >> THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA DECLINED OUR REPEATED REQUEST FOR AN ONLINE INTERVIEW BUT IN A STATEMENT SAID THAT VANCE HINE’S MEMBER WAS REVOKED FOR REASONS UNRELATED TO CHILD ABUSE.

5:44 WHEN HE RE-EVALUATED TO THE SCOUTS, A THOROUGH REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED BY MANY COMMUNITY AND SCOUTING LEADERS. AND HIS APPLICATION TO BE AN ADULT VOLUNTEER LEADER WAS ACCEPTED. WHILE DECLINING TO COMMENT FURTHER ON THE NOVAK CASE, THE BOY SCOUTS DID SAY, OUR EFFORTS TO PROTECT YOUTH ONE PLAINLY INSUFFICIENT, INAPPROPRIATE OR WRONG. WE EXTEND OUR DEEPEST APOLOGIES TO VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

6:12 THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA SAYS IT HAS TAKEN STEPS TO PREVENT SEXUAL ABUSE. >> AND YOUR MESSAGE TO THE MORMON CHURCH? >> DO SOMETHING. DO SOMETHING NOW. >> IN THE MORMON CHURCH’S FIRST INTERVIEW ON SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE BOY SCOUTS, WE SAT DOWN WITH CHURCH ELDER L. WHITNEY CLAYTON. >> WHAT DO YOU SAY TO MELVIN NOVAK IN. >> I SAY TO HIM, AND TO ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN ABUSED IN THE CHURCH OR AROUND THE CHURCH, I’M SORRY THAT YOU’VE GONE THROUGH WHAT YOU’VE GONE THREW.

6:48 IT’S A HORRIBLE THING FOR ANYBODY TO BE ABUSED. >> CLAYTON MADE IT VERY CLEAR, UNLIKE DECADES AGO, THE MORMON CHURCH AS IRCHMENTED SAFEGUARDS TO TRY AND PREVENT IT. >> WE WANT THIS MESSAGE TO BE CLEAR. NO CHILD SHOULD HAVE TO ENDURE CHILD ABUSE PERIOD. THAT’S WHAT ZERO TOLERANCE MEANS. WE WANT WRUR MEMBER TO KNOW WHAT TO DO, WE WANT THE LEADERS TO KNOW WHAT TO DO. WE TAKE EXTRAORDINARY STEPS. WE PUT SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE.

7:15 WE REMODELED BUILDINGS IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE DOORS HAVE WINDOWS. THE TWO ADULT POLICY, ANNOTATIONS ON CHURCH RECORDS, PAYING FOR COUNSELING. ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO ARE DESIGNED TO DO WHAT WE THINK THE SAVIOR WOULD DO TO PROTECT CHILDREN IN A WORLD THAT HAS LOST ITS MORAL COMPASS. >> CAN YOU SAY WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY TO ALL MOMS AND DADS, OUR LDS BOY SCOUT TROOPS ARE SAFE?

7:45 >> I CAN SAY THAT WE DO EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN. I DON’T KNOW ANYONE ANYWHERE WHO OFFERS PERFECTION, EXCEPT THE LORD JESUS NOVAK WHO LOVED THE SCOUTS AND THE CHURCH UNTIL SOMETHING HORRIFIC HAPPENED TO HIM. KYRA IS HERE WITH ME NOW TO TALK MORE ABOUT THIS INCREDIBLY DISTURBING INVESTIGATION THAT YOU’VE DONE. WHAT HAPPENED IN THE NOVAK CASE? >> WELL THE CASE IS SETTLED NOW. MELVIN IS TRYING TO MOVE ON WITH HIS LIFE.

8:13 HE’S IN REALLY INTENSE COUNSELING TRYING TO RAISE A NEW BABY WITH HIS WIFE. THE LDS CHURCH SAID IT WAS NOT HELD LIABLE AND DID NOT HAVE TO PAY IN THE SETTLEMENT. THE BOY SCOUTS HOWEVER WOULDN’T COMMENT ON THE SETTLEMENT. >> AND WHAT ABOUT THE FORMER SCOUT LEADER VANCE HINE WHO WE SAW THERE ADMITTING TO WHAT HE HAD DONE? >> HE WAS ON PROBATION FOR THE MELVIN NOVAK CASE, CAUGHT WITH CHILD PORN.

8:37 IN PRISON NOW SERVING UP TO 30 YEARS. AND AS YOU SAW BY THE PIECE – THIS IS WHAT’S SO HEART WRENCHING AS A MOM, TOO, AND A JOURNALIST. HE SHOW NOS REMORSE, NO FEELING AT ALL AND HAD NO PROBLEM TALKING ABOUT HOW HE ABUSED MELVIN. >> AND HE WENT INTO GREAT DEAL. >> HE HAD NO PROBLEM ADMITTING TO WHAT HE DID. HE HAS BEEN EXCOMMUNICATED FROM THE MORMON CHURCH. WE REACHED OUT TO HIM FOR