(WXYZ) — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Michigan State Police announced Wednesday the first charges in their Boy Scouts of America investigation.
Officials say 51-year-old Mark Chapman, a former Michigan resident who now lives in New York, is charged with eight counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct for alleged abuse against two separate victims.
“We take sexual assault cases extremely seriously,” said Nessel during the press conference.
Chapman was reportedly involved in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the Boy Scouts of America when the alleged abuse took place.
According to the AG’s office, the first case allegedly began in 2000 when the victim was 13 or 14 and continued until he was a senior in high school.
The second case, according to officials, allegedly involved a family member around 11 years old.
Chapman, Nessel said, was incarcerated in New York on other charges and was charged in these Michigan cases upon his release.
In June of 2021, Nessel launched a joint investigation between the Michigan Department of Attorney General and Michigan State Police targeting the Boy Scouts of America.
Around the time the investigation launched, The Boy Scouts of America reached a historic settlement with tens of thousands of sexual abuse victims.
Nessel said their joint investigation is currently examining 5,000 claims sent from BSA national for review.
Anyone who has information regarding possible abuse can call the hotline: 844-324-3374 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tips can be left anonymously.
"It remains imperative that sexual predators be held accountable, and one of my top priorities remains securing justice for survivors of abuse," Nessel said in a statement. "We appreciate our partnership with MSP to reach this point in this important investigation into the Boy Scouts of America. These charges are only the beginning."
