Ex-Scoutmaster Focus of Sex Abuse Inquiry
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Chambersburg tops weekly football power rankings poll SPORTS, 1B PUBLIC OPINION THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2019 ❚ PUBLICOPINIONONLINE.COM PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK Ex-scoutmaster focus of sex abuse inquiry For years, Piper said, he struggled ‘C.Q.’ Smith was a community pillar, with alcoholism and mental health is- sues, including post-traumatic stress but former scouts say he was a predator disorder. He said he’s bounced from job Dylan Segelbaum Chambersburg Public Opinion | USA TODAY NETWORK – PENNSYLVANIA to job and still has nightmares about what happened. ohn Piper can’t stand the late fall, when the smell of a wood- “I’ve never had nothing,” Piper said. “The way I feel, he stole my childhood.” burning stove takes him back to the trauma he suffered in Boy Piper, now 53, of Harrisonville, Ful- Scout Troop 127. ❚ It was November 1977. Piper was 11, one ton County, said he and his mother tes- tified before a grand jury in Franklin month away from his 12th birthday. ❚ His parents were di- County about the sexual abuse allega- Jvorced. So Piper said he looked up to his scoutmaster, Charles Quinton tions. Smith, 80, who’s identified in court “C.Q.” Smith, as a male role model. He was a U.S. Army veteran, Sunday records only by his initials, C.S., also testified before the grand jury. His testi- school teacher and business leader. ❚ But instead, Piper said Smith mony is not publicly available. But in a gave him alcohol and pornographic magazines and then sexually as- judge’s opinion in which Smith’s name is redacted, it states that he himself “es- saulted him at a cabin in Horse Valley, which is 20 miles northwest of timated the number of victims of his Charles Quinton “C.Q.” Smith is seen in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. And he isn’t the only one who says Smith abuse to be 16 to 18.” this 1982 photo published in the Chambersburg Public Opinion. abused them. See SMITH, Page 2A CHAMBERSBURG PUBLIC OPINION Owners of rescued dogs charged Kaitlin Greenockle Hanover Evening Sun USA TODAY NETWORK – PENNSYLVANIA After 38 dogs were rescued from a home in Oxford Township on Aug. 17, two people have been charged with 39 counts each of animal cruelty. Deborah A. Friedline and Barry Friedline, both owners of a home in the 300 block of Mt. Misery Road, were charged on Aug. 26 by the Adams County SPCA, according to affidavits filed with District Judge Tony Little. Humane Officer Abigail Avery re- ceived an anonymous call that 20 dogs were seen in the front yard of a home, and the caller was concerned about that many dogs living in a small house. When Avery arrived at the home, she spoke with the Friedlines and ex- plained that she was there for a wel- fare check of the animals on the prop- erty. Avery stated that she could smell a strong odor of ammonia and feces, the affidavit states. She asked Deborah Friedline how many dogs she had in the house, and Friedline said she had 20. Avery proceeded to the front of the house, where the dogs had a fenced-in area. She found 20 Chinese Crested dogs with matted hair and feces on their bodies, the affidavit states. When Friedline was asked if those Brexit opponents gather outside Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s residence on Wednesday in London. Johnson moved to were all the dogs she had, she said yes. suspend UK’s Parliament. PHOTOS BY MATT DUNHAM/AP Lori Wetzel, a humane officer in training, was with Avery and informed her that she heard more dogs in the house. Friedline was asked again how many dogs were in the house and she “Whatever one’s said two. A Brexit surprise Friedline agreed to let Avery and views on Brexit, Wetzel see the other dogs, which end- once you allow a ed up being an additional 18 Chinese At Johnson’s request, queen agrees to suspend Crested dogs, the affidavits states. prime minister to Most of the dogs were living in Parliament weeks before UK’s exit date crates with excess feces, and Avery prevent the full said in the affidavit she could not see Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II approved a request Wednesday by and free any water for the dogs to drink. Prime Minister Boris Johnson to suspend Parliament, a constitution- Friedline told Avery that only two of ally unusual move that makes it easier for Johnson to force through operation of our the 38 dogs were current with their ra- the country’s departure from the European Union. democratic in- bies vaccines, and none of them had It means British parliamentarians, determined to stop the nation current dog licenses. from leaving the EU without a formal exit deal, will have little time to stitutions, you All of the dogs were examined and make one just weeks ahead of the Brexit deadline on Oct. 31. Johnson found to be infested with fleas, they requested the queen essentially shut down Parliament on Sept. 10, a are on a very had sores on their skin, were anemic Brexit opponents week after lawmakers return from a summer recess. In a statement, precarious path.” and had parasites. They were pale and protest at College Green Johnson said Parliament would re-start on Oct. 14. weak from the fleas feeding on their Shadow Chancellor near the Houses of Critics argue the move subverts the democratic process. blood and had matted hair causing John McDonnell, Parliament in central in a tweet skin infections, the affidavit states. London on Wednesday. Nation & World, 7A The Friedlines and Avery could not be reached for comment. State Living Weather Volume 151, issue 40 Home delivery pricing inside Death penalty filing for synagogue Can you spot your child’s eating High 80° ❚ Low 58° Subscribe 717-264-6164 massacre suspect brings opposition. 4A disorder? Common myths can delay Mostly sunny. ©2019 $1.50 QEAJAB-12345t treatment. 5B Forecast, 6B 2A ❚ THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2019 ❚ PUBLIC OPINION Smith Continued from Page 1A The statute of limitations has expired, and Smith cannot be criminally charged. But he has asked the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to block the public re- lease of the grand jury’s report — or, at a minimum, to shield his identity in the court documents. Seven additional people have told the York Daily Record/Sunday News that Smith, who served as a scoutmaster of Troop 127 from 1966 to 1991 and was once named Chambersburg citizen of the year, sexu- ally abused them or engaged in some other form of misconduct. They described behavior that ranged from providing alcohol to minors to forcibly perform- ing oral sex on boys and young men. Neither Smith nor his attorneys, Brian Platt and Stephanie Cesare, could be reached. They’ve argued that the judge should have found the grand jury unconstitutional because Smith was not afforded adequate due process protections. ‘We would be undressed’ The York Daily Record investigated the allegations concerning Smith for about three months and contact- ed more than 150 people. Three people shared their accounts on the record, Geof Lambert is seen in this file photo from Sept. 20, 2016. Lambert, 57, an entrepreneur who lives in including two who testified before the grand jury. Five northern California, said Smith would provide him and other individuals with alcohol and pornography at his more spoke on the condition of anonymity because cabin in Horse Valley. “There’s a lot of people who have the ability to have exposed the errors of his ways,” they feared retaliation or did not want to publicly state Lambert said. “But nobody has done it, for whatever reason, they’ve gone about their business and haven’t that Smith sexually abused them. done anything about it.” MARKELL DELOATCH/PUBLIC OPINION Many of their accounts shared similarities. Most knew Smith through their involvement in scouting. Geof Lambert said he joined Troop 127 when he was He said he didn’t really think about it much until the in sixth grade in the early 1970s. Later, Smith invited Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse reports broke. But him and other individuals to his cabin in Horse Valley. Lambert said he can no longer read the news without Lambert said that, typically, Smith would pick them being reminded of what happened decades ago. up on Friday evening in his Mercedes-Benz. They’d fire Lambert said he didn’t want to expose his daugh- up the dry sauna, eat cheese and crackers and drink ters to what happened. He said his mother was best beer. friends with Smith’s mother. And Lambert’s father Smith, he recalled, had some kind of recreational worked with Smith and was involved in some of the vehicle, such as an ATV, that could hold two people. same organizations. The boys — they weren’t old enough yet to legally drive Now, Lambert said, he can’t be silent. — used it to explore the property and go down to the If anything encapsulates the situation, he said, it’s lake. the following quote from Albert Einstein: “The world is Later, Lambert said, they’d have dinner and sit a dangerous place to live — not because of the people around and drink more beer or vodka. Next, he said, who are evil but because of the people who don’t do they’d be naked in the sauna before going to the living anything about it.” room of the main cabin. “What happened to me was in 1973, 1972, 1974, 1975. Then, Smith would bring out pornography that he It’s now 2019,” Lambert said.