Bond Denied for Boy Scout Leader Arrested on Sex Charges

Kershaw County (WLTX) - A former member of the Indian Water Council, Boy Scout Troop 316 in Lugoff, has been arrested on sex charges.

Elgin Police Chief Harold Brown says Russell Spitzer, 49, has been charged with communicating obscene material to a minor, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, criminal sexual assault with intent to commit and criminal solicitation of a minor.

He's been denied bond on the charges. Chief Brown says Spitzer has confessed. The judge says he denied bond for Spitzer, because the prosecution believes he is a flight risk, and that he is a danger to the community by nature of the charges.

The victim and his family did not appear in court Thursday, but a victim's advocate from the police department read a letter from the victim's parents describing why they wanted to see bond denied for Spitzer. They said Spitzer compromised the security, safety and peace of mind of their son in what some say was a powerful letter.

Spitzer did not have an attorney, but he was accompanied by a representative from a law office. Officials say he will be back in court some time near the end of February.

Spitzer's wife and other family members appeared in court with him.

According to investigators, the incidents happened between October 2006 and January of 2007 while Spitzer was a leader in the group. Brown says the abuse started when the victim was 13.

?A lot of it happened over the internet. The personal touching occurred when he'd go to pick up the child for a meeting,? said Elgin Police Chief Harold Brown.

Brown says the child's father was serving overseas in Iraq at the time, and he believes Spitzer took advantage of the situation.

The arrest stems from an obscene text message sent on January 18, 2008, the day of the arrest.

Elgin police began investigating in November of last year. Investigators have taken three or four computers from the home as evidence.

We're told Spitzer has children of his own.

An official with the Indian Water Council says Spitzer was a registered leader with the organization since 1998. He's since been removed from his position, and his volunteer status has been terminated. He cannot be associated with scout activities now or in the future.

Boy Scout Executive Larry Brown fields calls from his leaders daily, but only twice in 21 years has he gotten one about sexual abuse.

"We do not allow any leader to have one on one contact with any child, two deep leadership is a must, anyone who violates that is out,? said Brown.

He says all volunteers go through an exentsive background check, but Spitzer's all checked-out fine.

"It's a bad case of someone who shouldn't have been a leader in the Boy Scouts or anywhere else for that matter," said Brown.

Though only one victim has come forward, both Brown and Chief Brown urge parents to contact them if they notice anything suspicious.

?He really took advantage of this victim, and I'm going to do all I can to make sure he doesn't do it again,? said Chief Brown.

Spitzer is being held without bond in the Kershaw County Detention Center. He'll have a second bond hearing, requested by his lawyer, Thursday morning at 11 in the Kershaw County Courthouse.