[Artemisia] "Six file federal complaint over sex abuse conviction" ... Against the SCA

[Raymond Garrison]

Taken from:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07129/784449-85.stm



Six file federal complaint over sex abuse conviction
Wednesday, May 09, 2007

By Joann Loviglio, The Associated Press



PHILADELPHIA -- Six children who were sexually abused by the youth director
of a medieval history society filed a federal complaint yesterday alleging
the organization failed to take adequate precautions to safeguard children
from predators.

The civil complaint stems from the conviction of Benjamin Schragger, 45, who
in 2004 pleaded guilty but mentally ill to charges including involuntary
deviate sexual intercourse, child rape, indecent assault and related counts.

The four boys and two girls, identified only as John Doe or Jane Doe in a
pair of lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, are seeking
unspecified damages from the Society for Creative Anachronism, a group with
30,000 participants worldwide that studies and re-enacts the Middle Ages.

Mr. Schragger was known as "Lord Ben the Steward" to the dozens of children
he mentored over the years as a local leader of the society. Mr. Schragger
led the local chapter for more than 10 years and also directed the youth
program for the society's East Kingdom, which stretches from Canada to
Delaware.

The plaintiffs contend that the society failed to require background checks
of adults who took part in children's activities, and didn't uniformly
follow protocols widely used by scouting groups and other children's
organizations that require two adults present at all activities.

The complaint also claims the society "adopted a head-in-the-sand attitude"
after it knew, or should have known, about the abuse.

"It is time for the SCA to take responsibility for failing to protect these
children," Jeff Fritz, attorney for five of the young plaintiffs, said in a
statement. "The SCA failed to adopt and implement appropriate policies and
procedures to protect these children, robbing them of their innocence."

On weekends, children gathered at Mr. Schragger's parents' farmhouse in New
Tripoli, about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia, to make period costumes,
construct chain mail armor, engage in mock battles and do other activities
related to the period. The home was known among group members as "Tulgey
Woods" or "The Manor."

Prosecutors said Mr. Schragger abused 11 children, ages 7 to 14, from 1999
to 2003, usually during sleepovers while Mr. Schragger's parents were away.

Mr. Schragger, who was deemed by the sentencing judge to be a sexually
violent predator under Megan's Law, will not be eligible for parole for
about 30 years.

The Society for Creative Anachronism, which has its headquarters in
Milpitas, Calif., released a statement saying that it "intends to take all
appropriate actions available to defend itself against the allegations in
these suits."

Society officials and employees had "no prior knowledge of the misconduct
and ... never received any complaints from anyone regarding Mr. Schragger
prior to his arrest," the statement said. Mr. Schragger was suspended upon
his arrest and his membership permanently revoked following his guilty plea,
the group said. 



----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----

( Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. )