Darrell Issa: Boy Scouts isn't an entirely bad organization
Boy Scouts of America files for bankruptcy; former congressman and former Boy Scout Darrell Issa reacts.
The Boy Scouts of America's move to file for bankruptcy Tuesday comes after scores of victims have accused scoutmasters, troop leaders and other scouts of sexual abuse in a predatory culture that allegedly spanned decades.
Christopher Veilleux opened up about his trauma Wednesday on the "Fox News Rundown" podcast, adding to the list of victims that are coming forward after silence fueled by years of shame and embarrassment for what they were forced to endure.
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Veilleux said he was sexually abused by his scoutmaster in the early 1980s at the J.N. Webster Scout Reservation in Ashford, Conn., as well as at the scoutmaster's home. He was only "11 or 12" when the men asked him to "strip down" and climbed into his sleeping bag, as others remained asleep inside the tent, he explained.
"I stripped down and he got into that same sleeping bag. Mind you, there were two other scouts asleep in the tent."
"Overnight I'd kind of come down with signs of hypothermia and stuff like that, so that's when he asked me to strip down and I stripped down and he got into that same sleeping bag. Mind you, there were two other scouts asleep in the tent," Veilleux recalled.
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY AMID SEX ASSAULT ACCUSATIONS
Veilleux said he was "happy for the warmth" at first, "but it slowly turned into something different. You know, the pretend sleeping of hands just kind of falling where they might not [or] should have..."
Despite his experience, Veilleux said he would still "put a kid in scouts," emphasizing that "not every scoutmaster is a predator."
Offering advice to parents of young children, Veilleux stressed the importance of "spending time with your child," as abusers tend to "prey" on "vulnerable children" who suffer from "trust or love issues."
BSA FACE THOUSANDS OF CLAIMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE AFTER FILING FOR BANKRUPTCY
"Spend more time with your child because what these people -- male, female, whomever they are -- because they're creatures of power, authority and control. So it's not just Boy Scouts. It's people," he said.
"These people prey on having these positions to look for children who are from a single-parent family or the family doesn't spend enough time with them, especially the mother and the father and stuff like that. So they're looking for these vulnerable children who have trust issues or love issues."
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Asked what motivated him to finally come forward, Veilleux said he hoped to inspire other victims to "be brave" and share their stories.
"The motto is to be brave," he explained, "and it's time for the victims to come forward, to be brave."
To hear the full interview, subscribe and download The FOX News Rundown on your favorite podcast player.
The FOX NEWS RUNDOWN is a news-based daily morning podcast delivering a deep dive into the major and controversial stories of the day.
Fox News' David Aaro contributed to this report.
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