Former Boy Scout Troop 845 Assistant Scout Master Brian Burnham will appear in federal court in Durham, on Thursday.
The 36-year-old Burnham has been indicted on charges of knowingly receiving child pornography from early 2009 through November 2014, according to court documents.
Burnham’s arrest warrant shows he was arrested on February 3, at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
Burnham was heavily involved in troop 845, which is based in Carrboro; he was one of two adults who led ten local teens on a cross-country bicycle trip in 2013.
The investigation began in November 2014 with a cybertip from The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
John Akerman, Scout Executive with the Occoneechee Council of the Boy Scouts of America, released the following statement to WCHL:
“The behavior included in these allegations runs counter to everything for which the Boy Scouts of America stands. Upon learning of the allegations we took immediate action to insure that this individual was removed from the Scouting program and preclude him from any further participation in the program. The safety of our youth members is of paramount importance and we seek to prevent child abuse through a comprehensive program of education on the subject, the chartered organization leader selection process, criminal background and other checks, policies and procedures to serve as barriers to abuse and the prompt mandatory reporting of any allegation or suspicion of abuse.”
Akerman adds the organization is fully cooperating with the authorities during their investigation.
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