Boy Scouts

Boy Scouts References in Epstein Files: What the Documents Reveal

Analysis of 11 references to Boy Scouts of America found in publicly released Epstein files (See List Below Article)

Among the many documents released in the Jeffrey Epstein files, at least 11 separate references to the Boy Scouts of America appear across various contexts. These references range from routine professional associations to academic discussions of institutional abuse, and include at least one concerning recorded conversation. This analysis examines what these documents actually show.

Background: The Epstein Files

The documents analyzed here are part of the publicly released evidence and correspondence related to Jeffrey Epstein's criminal cases and civil litigation. The Boy Scouts references span from 2010 to 2021 and appear in email correspondence, resumes, news articles, academic texts, legal documents, and recorded conversations.

Personal and Professional Associations

Four documents (EFTA00763031, EFTA00763266, EFTA00659183, EFTA00601884) contain references to individuals with routine Boy Scouts connections:

An associate named "Steve" mentioned participating in a four-day Boy Scouts training camp in February 2010, noting limited cell phone access during the outdoor event. In March 2010, he followed up asking if "anything exploded" while he was "in the woods with Boy Scouts."

James L. Miller, a retired police officer, listed on his resume that he operated sailing charters for the "Adventure Group of America (Boy Scouts)" after his 2010 retirement, sailing to the Bahamas and St. Thomas.

A 2012 article announced that attorney Mark Luther was appointed President of the Boy Scouts of America Gulf Stream Council in Southeast Florida, serving over 10,000 Scouts. These appear to be standard volunteer and professional associations with the organization.

National Boy Scouts Abuse Crisis Context

One document (EFTA00137183) from November 2020 contains a New York Times article reporting that more than 82,000 people had filed sex-abuse claims against the Boy Scouts of America in bankruptcy proceedings. The article described these claims as "far eclipsing" the number filed in Catholic Church abuse cases and detailed a "decades-long accumulation of assaults at the hands of scout leaders across the nation." This provides critical context that the Boy Scouts organization was facing massive documented abuse allegations during the period these files cover.

Academic and Clinical Documentation of Institutional Abuse

Three documents (EFTA00156974, EFTA00156843, EFTA00157026) cite the Boy Scouts in academic or professional contexts discussing how institutions can be exploited by child predators:

Document EFTA00156974 contains October 2021 call notes with Dr. Rocchio, a clinical psychologist who provided treatment to adult men abused as children in Boy Scout troops. She described a pattern where "a troop leader who was primary perpetrator" often had "another adult/senior boy, who was also a victim but also used (or coerced) to procure or befriend other kids." She discussed the concept of "grooming the environment" where perpetrators position themselves in organizations with ready access to children.

An academic text on grooming (EFTA00156843) stated: "Frequently, these individuals will look for children involved in legitimate groups—Boy Scouts, summer camps, the BigBrothers—and the molesters will become involved in these groups themselves, thus providing freer access to a wide range of children."

Another academic source (EFTA00157026) discussed "institutional grooming whereby they seek careers or volunteer positions that provide access to children (e.g., Catholic Church, Boy Scouts of America, schools, foster care, sports teams, babysitting)."

Legal Advocacy Work

Document EFTA00037118 contains attorney Jennifer Freeman's biography, noting she has "secured accountability from...youth organizations such as the Boy Scouts and YMHA" among many other institutions including the Catholic Church, schools, and individuals including Jeffrey Epstein himself.

The Recorded Conversation

The most concerning reference appears in document EFTA00432804, a transcript of a conversation between Jeffrey Epstein, individuals identified as David, Jessica, and Max. During a discussion about hidden attractions in New York City, Epstein described St. Bartholomew's Church having "a gigantic swimming pool. It's salt water. Two stories. In the basement of the church."

The conversation continued:

JEFFREY: "So I think somehow you baptize the little boys in the salt water and you take them upstairs."

DAVID: "Yeah. A really big baptismal font, I see."

JEFFREY: "Yes, you could do it as a group."

DAVID: "Sure."

JEFFREY: "You could do a whole troop of Boy Scouts all at once, I think, is the idea."

This comment, linking "little boys," a swimming pool, and "a whole troop of Boy Scouts," appears in the context of a seemingly casual conversation about New York City architecture and hidden spaces.

Unrelated Reference

One document (EFTA02038511) contains an article about Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood that mentions the organization drew "inspiration from a wide range of hierarchical institutions, from the Boy Scouts to the Communist Party." This reference is purely about organizational structure and has no connection to abuse or children.

Analysis: What These Documents Show

The Boy Scouts references in the Epstein files fall into distinct categories with different implications:

No Direct Organizational Connection: The documents do not show Epstein having direct involvement with the Boy Scouts of America as an organization, either as a leader, volunteer, donor, or formal participant.

Awareness of Institutional Vulnerabilities: Multiple documents in Epstein's files discuss how organizations like the Boy Scouts can be exploited by predators through "institutional grooming"—a well-documented phenomenon in forensic psychology and child protection research.

Context of National Crisis: The inclusion of the 2020 New York Times article about 82,000 abuse claims provides context that the Boy Scouts organization was publicly known to have systemic abuse problems during this period.

Concerning Recorded Statement: The transcript shows Epstein making an inappropriate comment linking children, swimming pools, and Boy Scout troops in a manner that appears sexualized given the context of discussing "little boys" and baptism.

Routine Professional Associations: Several references show individuals in Epstein's orbit having normal, legitimate connections to Boy Scouts as volunteers or service providers, which is unremarkable given the organization's widespread presence in American communities.

Conclusion

The Boy Scouts references in the Epstein files primarily appear in contexts discussing institutional child abuse as a documented phenomenon, rather than evidence of direct involvement with the organization. The most significant finding is the recorded conversation in which Epstein made an inappropriate sexualized comment about Boy Scouts and children in the context of discussing a swimming pool. This comment, while disturbing, appears in isolation among otherwise academic, professional, and news-related references to the organization.

These documents add to the broader picture of Epstein's documented interest in and commentary about children and youth-serving institutions, but do not establish that he had any formal relationship with the Boy Scouts of America organization itself.

 

 

THE FILES:

 

 

1

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00763031.pdf

To Jeff - Wed, 24 Feb 2010 

Jeffrey,
Let me know if I can do anything else. Probably is best now to lay back and see what happens. I am on staff at a Boy Scouts 4 day training starting tomorrow and cell phone access is spotty, but you can try.
Steve

 

 

2

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00763266.pdf

To Jeffrey - Tue, 02 Mar 2010 

"Anything explode while I was in the woods with Boy Scouts? Was mighty damn cold out there for 4 days and nights!" Steve

 

 

 

3

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00659183.pdf

RESUME

For
James L. Miller
Cell Phone:
Employment:

2010 — Present: Retired Police Officer. Purchased 1979 CYS Sail (44'),
sailed to Bahamas. Had charters with the Adventure Group of America
(Boy Scouts); sailed to St. Thomas, currently on Water Island.

1983 to 2010 - Police Officer/Detective for the Van Buren Township Police.
Duties included patrolling waters around area, detective, school district
liaison, driving instruction for other police officers, fire investigator, etc.

1972 —1983 — Fire Fighter for Superior Township Fire Department. Self-
explanatory.

References:
James Murray, Attorney at Law --
Ernie Thomsbury, Lieutenant of Van Buren Police De t. —
Dennis Barrett, Contractor, St. Thomas
 

Certificates:
U. S. Coast Guard — 50 Ton Master with Sail Endorsement.

 

 

4

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00137183.pdf

"... 

Boy Scouts Facing More Than 82,000 Sex-Abuse Claims.

The New York Times <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/15/us/boy-scouts-abuse-claims-bankruptcy.html>

(11/15, Al, Baker, 18.61M) reports more than 82,000 people "have come forward with sex-abuse claims against the Boy Scouts of America, describing a decades-long accumulation of assaults at the hands of scout leaders across the nation who had been trusted as role models." The Times adds that the claims, "which lawyers said far eclipsed the number of abuse accusations filed in Catholic Church cases, continued to mount ahead of a Monday deadline established in bankruptcy court in Delaware, where the Boy Scouts had sought refuge this year in a bid
to survive."

 The Wall Street Journal <https://www.wsj.corn/articles/boy-scouts-bankruptcy-deadline-looms-

11605466801> (11/15, Avila, Brickley, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) provides similar coverage."

 

 

5 

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00156974.pdf

" (USANYS) [Contractor]
From: (USANYS)
Sent: Monda , October 25, 2021 5:55 PM
To: (USANYS); (USANYS); (USANYS)
Subject: Call with Dr. Rocchio - 10/25/21
 

Call with Dr. Rocchio

• Looked for a few hours and didn't any articles that had sections focused on third party presence

• Has seen grooming the environment in forensic and clinical practice. Have provided treatment to adult men who were abused as children as part of boy scouts. Often they described a troop leader who was primary perpetrator, but often there was another adult/senior boy, who was also a victim but also used (or coerced) to procure or befriend other kids.

• Does not specifically use the term "grooming the environment," but this is part of her views in general about grooming.

• Perpetrators put themselves in positions where they have ready access. Locate themselves where there's a lower barrier for contact and reduce natural hesitancy because the perpetrator belongs there

"

 

 

6

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00601884.pdf

"PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: BCLC Managing Partner Mark Luther
Asked To Lead The Boy Scouts of America —Gulf Stream Council
Attorney Mark T. Luttier. managing partner of the law firm of BCLC.
has been named President of The Boy Scouts of America's Gulf
Stream Council for the 2012 and 2013 calendar years. The Gulf
Stream Council, which is focused on achieving excellence in provid-
ing a quality program to a growing youth population in America at all
levels of the Boy Scouts of America, serves over 10,000 Scouts and
3,000 adult volunteers in Palm Beach, Martin, Stuart, St Lude. Indi-
an River, Okeechobee. Glades, and Hendry counties in Southeast
Florida.

In his new position, Luttier will be responsible for supervising the
Gulf Stream Council and its officers; assuring that chartered duties
and obligations — national and local — are met; presiding over meet-
ings of the Council and executive board; being a member of all Council committees including administration, district operations, development, endowment, membership, marketing and properties; appointing the chairmen of all Council committees: and finally serving as a national council representative for the Gulf Stream Council.

Luttier replaces outgoing Gulf Stream Council President John Marion. According to Jeff Isaac, Scout Executive and Chief Executive Officer of the Gulf Stream Council. Luttier's selection can be attributed to his leadership skills, knowledge of the Boy Scouts program. and long-term presence in the South Florida region.

"Mark will not only be a great stabilizing presence for the Gulf Stream Council. he will also bring us into the fold of the South Florida community thanks to his great connections and the relationships he has built here as a Floridian and established attorney,' Isaac added. "The entire board and I are very excited about the energy Mark will bring to the position. We anticipate he will bring the same hands-on, make-it-happen attitude to the council that has made him the successful lawyer he is today:

"It is truly an honor to have been selected as president of our local council,' Luttier said. "I have been involved in scouting since my early years as a Cub Scout. As an Eagle Scout, I am a firm believer in the value of scouting for our youth and for the development of future leaders. Gulf Stream Council is fortunate to have the Tanah Keeta Scout camp, which consists of one square mile of land, available for our use, as well as the support of many members of the community from Boca Raton to Vero Beach. I look forward to working with everyone in the community throughout our council to ensure that scouting and its many opportunities and benefits continue
to be available to our youth well into the future." " 

 

 

7

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%208/EFTA00037118.pdf

"Jennifer Freeman has been a successful and dedicated advocate to protect children, women and others from sexual abuse, child pornography, discrimination, and exploitation. She has obtained hundreds of millions of dollars for victims and survivors, and has secured accountability from medical institutions such as Rockefeller University, religious institutions such as the Catholic Church, youth organizations such as the Boy Scouts and YMHA, individuals such as Jeffrey Epstein, abusing family members and child pornography distributors and possessors, public and private schools, employers such as financial institutions, coaches, camp personnel, clerics, and others. She brought her first child sex abuse case in 1997 and one of the first Title IX claims against a NY college. As the Chair of CHILD USAdvocacy, she has advanced statutory change for child sex abuse survivors by advocating for New York's Child Victims Act, statute of limitations reform in other states, and the Amy Vicky &amp; Andy Act in Congress, and she serves on a Global Task Force seeking time-bar reform in other countries. She is a recognized commentator and speaker on these issues on MSNBC, PBS, and national and local news, including"

 

 

8

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00156843.pdf

" The Evolution of
Grooming: Concept
and Term 

.....Most of the child molesters whom we encountered during our investigation
follow cenain patterns. Frequently, these individuals will look for children
involved in legitimate groups—Boy Scouts. summer camps. the BigBrothers—
and the molesters will become involved in these groups themselves. thus
providing freer aceess to a wide range of children."

 

 

 

9

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02038511.pdf

"... Two years, two stories
When Egyptians of all classes and persuasions united against
their dictator of three decades in 2011, the call was for bread,
freedom and dignity. The results under all three headings have
been mixed and each gain has come at a price. The brief unity is
long since gone; accounts of what happened to it, and to the
country, depend strongly on who is telling them.
The version favoured by Islamists is a saga of success. Founded
in Egypt in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood endured decades of
suppression. Drawing inspiration from a wide range of
hierarchical institutions, from the Boy Scouts to the Communist
Party, the Brothers worked assiduously to spread a culture of
resistance to Western influence..."

 

 

10

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00157026.pdf

"Offenders may also engage in institutional grooming whereby they seek
careers or volunteer positions that provide access to children (e.g., Catholic Church, Boy Scouts of America, schools, foster care, sports teams, babysitting; Lanning and Burgess 1984; Leclerc and Felson 2016; McAlinden 2006; Sullivan and Beech, 2002) thus circumventing the need to gain access to or groom the child's family, or exploiting organizational weaknesses to facilitate child sexual abuse (O'Leary, Koh, and Dare 2017) "

 

11

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00432804.pdf

Summary

Setting: Jeffrey hosts a meeting with David and Jessica at a temporary location "near" the Frick Museum. They're waiting for a doctor who hasn't arrived yet.

Key Topics Discussed:

1. Hidden NYC Gems

   • The Frick Museum has a basement bowling alley with mahogany and ebony bowling balls
   • St. Bartholomew's Church (51st & Park) contains a two-story saltwater swimming pool in its basement
   • Jeffrey has had an office at 51st & Madison for 18 years but only recently discovered these places

2. Jeffrey's Lifestyle

   • Uses different locations on different days
   • Mentions having "jail experience"
   • Now thinks about "micro-environments"
   • Chooses places based on aesthetic pleasure rather than consistency

3. Philosophy on Beauty

   • Jeffrey believes in using elegance and beauty as a compass for decision-making
   • David agrees, referencing his book "Machine Beauty" and physicist Feynman's approach
   • They discuss how aesthetic guidance applies to science, art, writing, and engineering

4. Max Arrives

   • Comes in late from the cold weather
   • Greets everyone

5. Final Question

   • Jeffrey asks if computers can identify beautiful things
   • David responds that computers currently cannot, and software will never create consciousness or awareness

Atmosphere: Casual, intellectual conversation among acquaintances discussing art, science, and New York City curiosities.

 

.....

Conversation Transcript--Jumping Towards End

... 

JEFFREY: How are you?

DAVID: OK.

JEFFREY: Come on in. I'm glad you came. Jessica, David.

DAVID: How are you doing?

JESSICA: Hi.

DAVID: Hi there.

JESSICA: How are you?

DAVID: Good times.

JESSICA: Nice to meet you.

JEFFREY: Take a seat. You want some coffee, tea? What do you want?

DAVID: I'm OK, thanks.

JEFFREY: The doctor's not here yet.

DAVID: Nice place.

JEFFREY: It's OK. It'll do for today.

DAVID: Got another one for tomorrow?

JEFFREY: Yes.

DAVID: I imagine so. [laughs]

JEFFREY: Yes. That's the idea.

DAVID: You're convenient to the Frick, I see. Not such a bad place to be. Nice tablecloth.

JEFFREY: Well, the question is, in case you want to go bowling.

DAVID: Is that a problem?

JEFFREY: Because there's a bowling alley in the basement.

DAVID: Don't you have one? Oh. I was going to guess.

JEFFREY: At the Frick.

DAVID: Oh, at the Frick. You don't have your own?

JEFFREY: No. There's a bowling alley that Mr. Frick had, beautiful mahogany bowling balls, ebony bowling balls.

DAVID: Mahogany bowling balls. Oh, my god.

JEFFREY: And little black boys to set the pins, I'm afraid.

DAVID: Well, you know, that was the style. I've been to the bowling alley.

JEFFREY: Correct. No one has. My two great secrets are the—my office has been at 51st and Madison Avenue for 18 years, only did I find out that there's a swimming pool a block away.

DAVID: From 51st and Madison?

JEFFREY: Yes. It's on 51st and Park. You say, well, where's that? What's 51st and Park?

DAVID: I give up.

JEFFREY: St. Bartholomew's Church.

DAVID: Ah-ha.

JEFFREY: That's what I said.

DAVID: They don't have a swimming pool.

JEFFREY: They have a gigantic swimming pool. It's salt water. Two stories. In the basement of the church.

DAVID: I knew it was a fancy church.

JEFFREY: Correct. So I think somehow you baptize the little boys in the salt water and you take them upstairs.

DAVID: Yeah. A really big baptismal font, I see.

JEFFREY: Yes, you could do it as a group.

DAVID: Sure.

JEFFREY: You could do a whole troop of Boy Scouts all at once, I think, is the idea.

DAVID: It's a nice church. I've passed that church a million times and admired it. I don't think I've ever been in there. But I would have suspected a two-story, salt water swimming pool.

JEFFREY: Yeah, it's beautiful.

DAVID: So you know the city pretty well.

JEFFREY: No, I don't, but I'm trying to—I'm experimenting. Actually I know the world much better than I know New York.

DAVID: It's an interesting position to be in.

JEFFREY: I've decided that with my jail experience, I should think about different types of micro-environments.

DAVID: Fair enough. What cities do you prefer to New York?

JEFFREY: The question is...

DAVID: Lots and lots of cities?

JEFFREY: No, no, no. It depends on what day. I am driven by aesthetic pleasure.

DAVID: That's the way to do it. That's the way to do science and the way to do art. The way to do everything. It's the way to write.

JEFFREY: But if you look at, it's like the book... I think if the defining—not the defining. I think if the compass is pointing towards elegance and beauty, you're probably moving in the right direction.

DAVID: Yeah. That's like a sentence I wrote at the beginning of a book called "Machine Beauty." I could not agree with you more. It's something that Feynman says again and again in his famous intro physics textbook. You are guided by beauty in the sense of the physical world. If you don't get where you're going, you'll still be moving in the right direction. Which distinguishes good work in software and engineering, of course, from...

JEFFREY: Come on in, Max.

MAX: Nice to see you. Haven't seen you in ages.

DAVID: Yes, it's been a long time. It's good to see you, Max.

JEFFREY: Jessica.

JESSICA: Hey, Max. I know you.

MAX: Yeah. How's it going?

JEFFREY: I take it from your cheeks it's fairly cold out?

MAX: Yeah, it's pretty...

JESSICA: It's ridiculous out.

MAX: It's impossible out there. Surprisingly.

JEFFREY: So can you then—can computers pick out beautiful things? They should be able to.

DAVID: Computers cannot pick out beautiful things at the moment. But... Software will never create consciousness, awareness, per se.

---