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Wednesday, August 27, 1997

Scout executive charged with indecency with child

QUANAH, Texas (AP) -- A Boy Scout district executive charged with indecency with a child has been suspended from his job and scouting membership, a scout executive says.

Andrew McElhannon, 24, posted $30,000 bond after his arraignment Monday, Hardeman County Sheriff Randy Akers said.

Quanah Police Chief Guy Smith said McElhannon surrendered to state troopers and spent the weekend in the Hardeman County Jail.

McElhannon, himself an Eagle Scout, worked with boys in 10 counties south and west of Wichita Falls.

Smith wouldn't say if any Boy Scouts were involved in the suspected molestation, which allegedly occurred over a long period of time and was reported to Quanah police Aug. 9.

Smith didn't rule out the possibility of additional charges.

The Associated Press was unable to reach McElhannon at his Wichita Falls home Tuesday.

Ron Boller, an executive with the Northwest Texas Council of the Boy Scouts of America, said the council is cooperating with the investigation, which so far is limited to Hardeman County.

The council automatically suspended McElhannon's employment and scout membership upon learning of the charges, Boller said. He may not be able to regain his employment and membership even if cleared, said Boller, adding scouting officials performed a standard security check before hiring McElhannon in April 1996.

McElhannon's job involved working with chartering organizations such as churches and civic groups to establish scout troops and didn't entail much direct contact with scouts, Boller said.

McElhannon worked with troops in Archer, Baylor, Childress, Cottle, Foard, Hardeman, King, Knox, Throckmorton and Wilbarger counties.

Quanah Boy Scout leaders Billy Smith and Larry Castleberry said that, to their knowledge, McElhannon had no private contact with any of the city's 22 registered Cub Scouts or members of its newly formed Boy Scout troop.

McElhannon attended a summer camp with several troops from around the North Texas area earlier this year, though McElhannon never came to the campsite where the Quanah scouts and their leaders stayed, Castleberry said.

Quanah is about 60 miles northwest of Wichita Falls.