By Lauren McSherry

The 42-year-old Los Altos resident charged with molesting three Troop 31 Boy Scouts provided the names of at least eight scouts he had inappropriate contact with as a scout leader, according to court files.

Gregory Wagner also had planned an out-of-state trip with no return date at the time of his arrest, according to files. Wagner was a Boy Scout leader in the community for more than 20 years until the day of his arrest when he was dismissed from Los Altos Troop 31. He has been charged with nine felonies and if convicted, could face more than 27 years in jail.

During a police interview following his Aug. 25 arrest, Wagner initially denied the molestation charges brought against him, but identified boys off scout rosters and the number of times he molested each one after police played a taped phone conversation that he had with one of the victims, according to the police report. At the end of the conversation, Wagner is heard saying, “I’m sorry for what I did to you,” according to the report. He admitted to “grooming,” breaking down a child’s resistance to sexual abuse. According to the police report, the first step in Wagner’s grooming process was befriending the boys, followed by showing them pornography and molesting them.

Statements from the victims reveal how Wagner allegedly held the trust of the boys and their families. According to court files, Wagner was allowed by parents to take scouts on un-chaperoned camping trips that were intended as makeup classes so that the boys could earn badges; he was invited into homes and left alone with scouts and was allowed to bring at least five scouts to his home in San Jose, where he sometimes held scout meetings.

The statements by victims also reveal how a child predator can potentially find ways around the Boy Scouts’ two-deep policy, intended to prevent inappropriate one-on-one activities. One victim described how Wagner allegedly began nominating him for leadership positions in the troop and would invite him to his house and on camping trips on the pretense of discussing “scout stuff.”

The most recent inappropriate contact occurred in 2001 as related by one of the Troop 31 scouts named by Wagner and contacted by police. Wagner allegedly took the scout to his work on an outing supposedly related to the troop’s Web site and made sexual jokes to the 14-year-old while driving in the car.

“If a person is going to break the rules, unfortunately they can often find a way,” said John Richers, scout executive for the Pacific Skyline Council, the regional Boy Scout branch that Troop 31 falls under. “There are so many situations where it could happen if someone has gained the trust of parents. In some cases, the parents looked upon the scout leader as a guardian, which is where the tragedy can occur if there is child abuse.”

Richers added that the Boy Scouts provide child-protection resources and training for scouts, their parents and troop leaders.

The molestation incidents Wagner is charged with allegedly occurred between 1988 and 1992.