Boy Scout Leader, School District Employee Charged With Molesting Three Kids

July 22, 2013

A local Boy Scout leader and school district employee has been arrested for molesting three girls.

Douglas Alden Parker, 47, was charged with three counts of felony lewd and lascivious behavior.

Pensacola Police Sgt. Kristin Brown said detectives began investigating Parker on July 14, the same day one of the females filed a complaint against Parker with the Department of Children and  Families. An investigation determined the females were ages three to nine years old when Parker had sexual contact with them.

Brown said detectives also are in the process of examining Parker’s computer after child  pornography was found on it, and additional charges are pending for possession of child pornography.

As of July 16, Parker was a Boy Scout leader with local  Troops 3 and 608 and was an information technology employee for the Escambia County School District. The school district position had no direct  contact with children, according to police.

Parker remains in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $300,000.

The case remains under investigation. Anyone having questions or information about Parker’s activities is asked to contact Sgt. Kristin Brown at (850)  435- 1965.

Comments

29 Responses to “Boy Scout Leader, School District Employee Charged With Molesting Three Kids”

  1. Jeannie Sheffield on July 23rd, 2013 6:25 pm

    William….thank you for sharing the information obtained from our LEO. As a survivor of sexual abuse, I know first hand what effects this will have on the three girls at such a young age in their lives. I am extremely dismayed at the reactions in the comments. We should be offering support and prayers to the families who’s lives have been turned upside down. But instead people are offended by the headlines. My mother did NOTHING when she was shown proof of the abuse I endured from my father, other than tell me I was old enough to know better. The headline of the story and the fact of where this monster worked, which organizations he was a part of IS important to who had/have children affiliated with as a concerned parent. I pray that this monster is punished to the fullest for his actions…because abuse of this nature will forever affect these families. It’s NOT something we can ever forget, but we can heal in time. My deepest thoughts and prayers go out to the girls and their families. If I can be of any help please let me know. May God be with all involved, bring understanding, compassion, and comfort knowing you are not alone.

  2. Mark on July 23rd, 2013 3:05 pm

    @Jason said: “The issue is the reporting is this…. “Local Boy Scout leader molests children.” This has been picked up and said on local radio. Now what conclusion do you automatically draw from this headline? My point is you have decided to make your readers jump to the conclusion that he molested scouts at scout events. There really is no other line of thinking with that headline.

    No, that is where YOUR mind went. I read it and my first thought was “Who did he molest?” I did not automatically assume it was a scout, that would be “jumping to conclusions”.

    @Jason said: “On a pesonal note. How dare you identify the individual groups he is with. Now they are all freaking out and everyone will be talking aboutthem for possibly no readon. Thanks a lot.”

    WOW, you’re mad because they said he was a scout leader? Should they have said, “He holds a position of authority over a large group of children. We won’t say what group it is, figure it out for yourself”. THAT would be irresponsible journalism!

    Parents have a RIGHT to know if a group their child is involved in has something like this happen to it. You seem more upset that the “scouts” name was associated with this.

    I was a cub scout, webelo, and boy scout. Let me tell you, there were MANY times there was only one adult with all of us.

  3. Joshua on July 23rd, 2013 2:22 pm

    I love that people are getting fired up. Perhaps this will help prevent something like this in the future. Talk, talk, talk, talk.

    Church, scouts, school, neighbors, friends, baseball, football, band……. the boogeyman could be anywhere. I would hope that the police have already informed the scouts and the potential parents involved. If not than perhaps it was a little irresponsible to print the groups.

  4. Heather on July 23rd, 2013 2:11 pm

    @Jason: “The issue is the reporting is this…. “Local Boy Scout leader molests children.” This has been picked up and said on local radio. Now what conclusion do you automatically draw from this headline? My point is you have decided to make your readers jump to the conclusion that he molested scouts at scout events. There really is no other line of thinking with that headline”

    Subject lines/headlines are meant to grab your attention – not be the whole story. (i.e. Does this pertain to me? Am I interested in this news report? etc)

    No where in this article does it suggest that those three girls were in the Boy Scouts. Only that he molested three girls, aged 3-9, and that he is a Boy Scout Leader & an Escambia County School District Employee…so unless you (general you) are illiterate, i’m not really sure how a person can infer what you are suggesting.

  5. Heather on July 23rd, 2013 1:54 pm

    @faron: “Will violations of this policy occur? Probably.”…”To make an offhanded statement that a BSA leader ‘might be left alone with children’ is at best, misleading and at worse, inflammatory.”

    OK so would you have preferred that instead of saying “he might be left alone with children” that he say, “he might violate the policy that no adult be alone with a child”? — either way, you understand what he was saying. He was in a leadership position, working with kids. He MIGHT have been alone with children in the course of the time he was a Boy Scout Leader. Would BSA have allowed this to go on if they knew about it? No. Would these three girls mothers allowed this to go on if they knew about it? No. Doesnt mean it didnt happen.

    if i were the parent of a child in his troop…I’d definitely want to know. If my kids were in boyscouts, but the reporting made no mention of Boy Scouts, I might be inclined to just look over this news story all together. It was mentioned, because it MATTERS.

  6. Boy Scout Parent on July 23rd, 2013 1:53 pm

    >>.To make an offhanded statement that a BSA leader “might be left alone with children” as at best, misleading and at worse, inflammatory.

    You are not living in the real world. A small boy scout troop meeting in a local church. Two adult leaders, 20 boys. One leader runs to his car, goes to the bathroom or steps outside with a parent. Guess what? One leader is alone with the kids. “Mark’s” dad calls and says “I’ll be 15 minutes late picking him up, can you stay”. One leader stays with “Mark. Alone. Or a camping trip. Leader “A” wakes up during the night and has the opportunity to “check on” a few of the boys. Alone.

    It might be a policy, and it might work most of the time. But it’s not perfect. Perhaps this guy never did anything at a BSA meeting or event. But I for one, the parent of a child in one of the listed groups, is very glad the story ran with the headline it has to that I would read it and very glad it idenfitied the troop. I will be having a long conversation with my son tonight. Perhaps those upset by this story shoudl join the real world and talk to your kids too.

    Why aren’t you yelling at FOX 10? Their headline says Boy Scouts and the story lists the Troop #s too. There must be some reason police gave out the troup numbers.

  7. William on July 23rd, 2013 1:46 pm

    >> How dare you identify the individual groups he is with. Now they are all freaking out and everyone will be talking aboutthem for possibly no readon. Thanks a lot.

    We identified the Troops he was with because the Pensacola Police Department felt it important enough to send an email with that specific information to all media.

    That’s why we, and other media, are reporting the info.

    To have the information and not report it would be as irresponsible as to report a school teacher was arrested for molesting children without naming the school.

  8. jason on July 23rd, 2013 1:41 pm

    William,

    The issue is the reporting is this…. “Local Boy Scout leader molests children.” This has been picked up and said on local radio. Now what conclusion do you automatically draw from this headline? My point is you have decided to make your readers jump to the conclusion that he molested scouts at scout events. There really is no other line of thinking with that headline.

    And no you should NEVER trust anyone with your kid. Not fully, always question and inform them. Like I will never fully trust any other adult leader that I am in scouts with. Thatis why we try to make it impossible to be alone with a kid.

    On a pesonal note. How dare you identify the individual groups he is with. Now they are all freaking out and everyone will be talking aboutthem for possibly no readon. Thanks a lot.

  9. Faron Hicks on July 23rd, 2013 12:57 pm

    @William. “as a Boy Scout leader for two Troops held a position of trust and responsibility over children, and a position where he might be left alone with children.”

    As a BSA leader, I am absolutely infuriated that this man (if guilty) should be involved with children in any capacity. But, let’s not let this be an excuse to promote misconceptions or misinformation. The Boy Scouts of America has unalterable policy of Two-deep Leadership, which states that NO adult may be alone with a child. There MUST always be at least two adults present. Will violations of this policy occur? Probably. Will violations be tolerated by the BSA? Never. To make an offhanded statement that a BSA leader “might be left alone with children” as at best, misleading and at worse, inflammatory.

  10. Really? on July 23rd, 2013 12:09 pm

    @ Darth Soetoro “@mom, What used to be “Common Sense” is not so common anymore.”

    What used to be common was a 7 year old riding his bike to the ball game by himself, not worrying about who was lurking in the bushes. The community was a community. Neighbors would report to Mom & Pop if little Johnny was into mischief. They would also step in if it looked like little Johnny needed protection.

    Now people don’t want you to scold their kids when they are showing severe lack of parenting, but they will be happy to tell you how you are neglecting yours.

    I miss the days of drop your kids off. Back when the world looked out for each other.

  11. Rick on July 23rd, 2013 12:01 pm

    Well said, William. The fact that he was a scout master with two troops IS a very important part of the story. I am starting to wonder if we have to be suspicious of ANY adult who desires to work with children. I hate to paint with a broad brush, but really!

  12. outofyourmind on July 23rd, 2013 11:17 am

    Reading some of your comments disturbs the mess out of me. True a person should be tried. But these days just because a person is tried and not found guilty does not mean they are not guilt. Second they more than likely lead the story with Boyscouts so that parents that have had their kids in his camp can talk to them to make sure there are no more victims. Use your brains people please

  13. William on July 23rd, 2013 10:55 am

    >>>Why does the News Journal and northescambia.com feel the need to lead this story with BOY SCOUT LEADER? This deranged person, if guilty, molested girls. Very young ones apparently. Should not the headline lead Local School District Employee. I really fail to see where “BOY SCOUT” has anything to do with any of the accusations. Very poor reporting. Very disappointing.

    Can’t speak for the PNJ, but I would imagine their reason is the same as our reason, and the reason of the other media that reported on this, as well as the reason of the Pensacola Police for telling us in the first place.

    He’s accused of molesting children, and as a Boy Scout leader for two Troops held a position of trust and responsibility over children, and a position where he might be left alone with children.

    As a school district employee, he was not around children. But that fact is still important because he could have had access to school campuses, or perhaps school records that contained names and address of children. The school district has not said.

    I don’t care if he was a Boy Scout leader, Girl Scout leader, Sunday School teacher, soccer coach or whatever — people should know that he was around their kids so they have a chance to talk to their kids. I’m not accusing him of anything further, but people have a right to know.

    Police have said he’s been accused of molesting three girls. But they also said they found child porn on his computer, without specifying male or female.

    He is innocent until proven guilty, without a doubt. But as a parent of two children, I find it responsible reporting to draw the attention of Boy Scout parents that may have had children around him.

  14. Jason on July 23rd, 2013 10:40 am

    Why does the News Journal and northescambia.com feel the need to lead this story with BOY SCOUT LEADER? This deranged person, if guilty, molested girls. Very young ones apparently. Should not the headline lead Local School District Employee. I really fail to see where “BOY SCOUT” has anything to do with any of the accusations. Very poor reporting. Very disappointing.

  15. David on July 23rd, 2013 10:00 am

    I sit and wonder today…at 65 years old…if I were a child today who would I be able to trust- to lead me and mentor me through a good life.
    Who in the public would I look at as a role model…
    I am sorry…everyone is wearing a mask..I would not trust anyone
    Mom and Dad is my choice.

  16. Darth Soetoro on July 23rd, 2013 9:12 am

    @mom, What used to be “Common Sense” is not so common anymore.

  17. Kathy on July 23rd, 2013 8:26 am

    Shame on you, How can our childern trust anyone there supose to look up too.

  18. mom on July 23rd, 2013 2:40 am

    I don’t know the situation as to why he was around these children OR where their parents were…..but WAKE UP PARENTS!! In the past year, I have coached a ball team & been to many birthday parties where parents just DROP there kids off!! You simply can NOT do that.I thought it was common sense, but I guess not!!

  19. wm on July 23rd, 2013 1:33 am

    I’m sure that there are some boy scouts with som stories to tell on this guy At a minimum, I’d bet a weeks pay that he introduced the boys to pornography at summer camp. It certainly happened in my troop when I was growing up.

    If the law doesn’t interview current and previous scouts from his troops — they are foolish.

  20. thought on July 22nd, 2013 9:07 pm

    someone needs to do to him what he did to those children

  21. Yvonne on July 22nd, 2013 7:50 pm

    He ought to be hung

  22. Kari on July 22nd, 2013 7:42 pm

    Anne, your thinking is very dangerous. Everyone deserves a fair trial. We can’t start picking and choosing what crimes should forgo a trial. These rights protect you and me, the innocent.

  23. Susan Ramirez on July 22nd, 2013 7:23 pm

    He is innocent until proven guilty. It is horrible that he had child pornography on his computer but that doesn’t mean he did molest those girls. We should hold judgment until all the facts are out. No one but him knows the whole truth. I do not condone child pornography or the molestation of children but I also do not rush to convict either.

  24. chris1 on July 22nd, 2013 7:17 pm

    Finally a decent bond.
    Put him in general (prison) population.

  25. Anne on July 22nd, 2013 4:56 pm

    We need a special prison for child abusers. If child porn is on their computers they shouldn’t even get a trial.
    My grandmother used to say the Lord gives us children when we can handle them. She was right about that. I couldn’t have young children today because they would be chained to my wrist. God bless those of you trying to raise good children during this insane time.

  26. Gary on July 22nd, 2013 4:16 pm

    Sad… As I was reading the story I was happy with saying let’s wait until we hear the whole story but since they found child porn on his computer that makes a huge difference. Let our justice system do it’s job but he won’t last long in prison.

  27. mick on July 22nd, 2013 3:52 pm

    Another chicken hawk predator exposed…sicko…

  28. Jack Johnson on July 22nd, 2013 3:14 pm

    I hope he gets death

  29. MolinoMomma on July 22nd, 2013 2:50 pm

    Seems like you can’t trust anyone anymore…sad!!!