After years of declaring his innocence, former Assistant Scoutmaster Stephen Corcoran admitted his guilt in Morristown, NJ, on August 29. According to the Daily Record, he pled guilty to four separate sexual assaults on three former Boy Scouts, all of whom were between the ages of 13 and 17 when the events occurred. The prosecution has recommended ten years in prison for the assaults, a sentence that would run concurrently with his existing seven year prison sentence which began last year after he was convicted in Morris County for possessing child pornography.
Case History
Between 1997 and 1999, Corcoran was an Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 173 which is part of the Patriots Path Council, Boy Scouts of America. The troop serves boys in Parsippany, New Jersey. Ctime, Corcoran was alleged to have sexually abused the three boys in his home in Morris Plains .According to the news report, In his plea, former assistant Scoutmaster Corcoran stated he had supervisory power over the boys, and two of them were at least 16 at the time. New Jersey law states a person must be 16 to consent to sex with a person who is more than four years old and 18 to consent to sex with a person who has authority over them.
Civil Trial
All three of the victims sued the Boy Scouts of America in separate civil proceedings, and all three cases were settled out of court in June of 2018. One of the three cases, however, nearly went to trial before the organization was ready to settle. The case had progressed as far as jury selection when the Boy Scouts finally reached a settlement with the plaintiff. It’s essential, however, to note that Corcoran was not involved in the settlement or the litigation. Only the Boy Scouts were involved in the lawsuit. The organization has now filed suit against Corcoran in civil court.
Sentencing
Sentencing is tentatively set for October 25, however, before that can occur, he will be evaluated at New Jersey’s Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center to determine whether he is a compulsive and repetitive sex offender. In the event he meets those criteria, he could serve his sentence at that center while obtaining treatment. Either way, he must register as a convicted sex offender upon his release.