Boy Scout leader charged with sexually molesting boys in his troop

HASTINGS, Minn. -- Dakota County authorities accused a Burnsville Boy Scout leader of sexually abusing three of the boys in his troop between 2002 and 2008. Peter Robert Stibal, II, was arrested Monday and formally charged Wednesday.

The 44-year-old Stibal has been charged with two counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct and four counts of second degree criminal sexual conduct. Wednesday night he was being held in the Dakota County Jail in lieu of $1 million bond.

Dakota County Attorney Jim Backstrom alleged that Stibal sexually touched all three of the boys multiple times, and committed oral sex with one of them at least twice. All of the boys were between the ages of 11 and 16 at the time of the alleged incidents.

"This is a man who's had access to a lot of young people in a lot of different ways for a long period of time," Backstrom told KARE Wednesday afternoon, "The Burnsville police are looking to determine if there are other victims out there."

Stibal, who is unmarried and has no children of his own, began volunteering for Troop 650 in the year 2000. He had been the scout master since 2003. The accused molester has also been a youth ministries volunteer at his church.

Stibal's most recent job, at the school bus company First Student Transportation, involved coordinating rides for special needs students.

"But parents have told us that time to time Mr. Stibal would drive some of the buses himself," Backstrom remarked, "We hope there aren't other victims but if they do exist we need them to come forward and speak to police."

When questioned by detectives, Stibal admitted he gave some of the boys in his troop back rubs but denied sexually touching or assaulting them. According to the complaint, he admitted to detectives they may find some child pornography files on his computers.

"We have seized those computers, and they'll be examined forensically," Backstrom explained, "So that may result in more charges being filed, depending on the outcome of that investigation."

Similar accounts

One victim, who is now an adult, told investigators Stibal sexually assaulted him four times. He said the first incident was when he was sleeping overnight at Stibal's cabin near Paynesville, Minnesota in 2002 or 2003 when the scout was 12 or 13-years-old.

The victim said subsequent episodes took place at Stibal's home in Burnsville, a drive-in movie theater in Cottage Grove and an indoor movie theater in Eagan. The abuse stopped, according to the complaint, when the victim was 15 or 16 and told Stibal it made him uncomfortable.

The second victim told police that when he was 11, some time in 2003 or 2004, he was at an outing a Boy Scout camp in Stearns County when he woke up to find Stibal touching him sexually.

A third victim reported a series of three such incidents, once at the Paynesville cabin, and twice at a Boy Scout camp near Park Rapids in Hubbard County. The most recent alleged assault was on July 4, 2008 according to the petition against Stibal.

"These victims, and any other victims there might be out there, need to understand that they're not at fault," Backstrom asserted, "They're not to blame for what happened to them. They've been victimized and they need to get the help and care they need to recover from this trauma."

Scouting response

Backstrom said the Northern Star Council of the Boy Scouts of America, headquartered in Golden Valley, had been fully cooperating in the investigation. In a statement released Wednesday, the council said that Stibal had passed a background check before he joined Troop 650.

"We were saddened and disturbed to learn of the recent charges of sexual abuse against one of our Scouting volunteers," the statement read, "Our thoughts and prayers are with the young people and families affected."

The B.S.A. has permanently revoked Stibal's membership, regardless of the outcome of the cases brought against him.

"Three Council staff members as well as a law enforcement official have met with troop members, parents and troop leaders to answer questions, provide assistance and offer support."

While he denied any inappropriate behavior with his scouts, Stibal told investigators he had sometimes been alone with individual boy scouts in violation of a B.S.A. policy.

Anyone with information or questions about this investigation are asked to call the Burnsville Police Department at 952-895-4600.

Stibal's next court appearance is scheduled for December 7th.

"These are never easy cases," Backstrom said, "Especially because they cover a long period of time. But we will always take sexual abuse of children very seriously."

Watch KARE 11 for updates to this case and check back at kare11.com.

Click here to read the criminal complaint - WARNING - some content is very graphic

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