Scout Leader Sentenced to Over 17 Years in Prison

Robert Mark used hidden cameras to record minors undressing and using the bathroom GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Robert Alan Mark, 59, of Whitehall, MI, was sentenced to 208 months in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor. During sentencing, U.S. District Judge Jane M. Beckering called Mark a “predator” and said that “no matter what good things he had done, that was wrecked by” his conduct in this case. When he is released from the Bureau of Prisons, he will spend seven years on supervised release, and he will be required to register as a sex offender. For years, Mark was a leader in Boy Scouts (now Scouting America). When Scouting America began admitting female members, he served as a troop leader for female scouts as well. Scouts and their parents reported that he had hosted pool parties in his home and encouraged the girls to use his bathroom to shower and change. Investigators found that over the course of ten years, he used hidden cameras to record minor females undressed, showering, and/or using the bathroom. Recovered videos and images showed he had recorded at least eight girls, all under the age of 18, and that he had hidden cameras in his bathroom, a bedroom in his home, and a tent. U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey said he was satisfied with the sentence. “Mark richly deserved the sentence he got from Judge Beckering. Anyone who sexually exploits children deserves a decisive response from the criminal justice system, and he got it here. But what really got our attention was that Mark used Scouting America to get access to them. Now more than ever, our communities need organizations like Scouting America to help our kids learn the best traditional American values, and that means we will do whatever is necessary to keep deviants like Mark far away.” “Scout leaders are trusted to protect our children, not exploit them. This sentence reflects the depravity of his conduct and makes clear that those who victimize our children will be held fully accountable,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “I commend the outstanding work of the FBI Grand Rapids WEBCHEX Task Force and the Michigan State Police for their diligent efforts throughout this investigation. FBI Detroit will continue working alongside our law enforcement partners to pursue those who prey on children and ensure they are brought to justice.” “Protecting children from exploitation is one of our highest priorities. This sentence reflects the serious and lasting harm these crimes inflict on victims, and we remain committed to working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to identify offenders, hold them accountable, and safeguard our communities.” said a spokesperson for the Michigan State Police. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Michigan State Police investigated this case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.