Oakdale Scouts Pack Suspends Volunteer's Involvement Due to Criminal Charges

An Oakdale-based Cub Scout pack asked an 18-year-old Eagle Scout to stop volunteering with the pack due to pending charges against him.

The Boy Scouts Great Rivers District sent a letter to Matthew D. L. Mueller, 18, asking him to discontinue participation in scouting events with Cub Scout Pack 240 due to pending criminal charges against him alleging that he exposed himself to a 7-year-old-boy, said Great Rivers Senior District Executive Eric McFee.

Oakdale Patch is omitting how Mueller was connected with the boy to protect his identity, however the Washington County District Court Complaint does not say the two were acquainted through Boy Scouts.

Cub Master Timothy Goebel said parents in the group were shocked to hear of the charges against Mueller, who had been involved in scouting for years.

“It’s not something in his character from what we know,” Goebel said.

Mueller's lawyer Steven M. Coodin said he vehemently denies the allegations against him.

Still, Goebel said there was no question that Mueller would have to be excluded from all scouting activities until the court case is resolved.

“The way I looked at it was, personal feelings aside, we’re all volunteers, we’re all asked to do a job and that job does require us to make decisions,” he said. “Whether they’re easy or hard decisions, we need to make sure we’re thinking of the group as a whole.”

As soon as Goebel learned of the charges, he said he notified the district and council leadership and, once he got word back from them, sent out a letter to parents about the issue.

Goebel and McFee said the Boy Scouts have strict rules about always having at least two adults in the room at a time with children to protect kids from harm, and adults from false accusations.

This means Mueller, who Goebel said had been working with a first-year Webelos group made up of fourth-graders for about a year, would never have been left alone with one of the boys in the program.

To Goebel's knowledge, no one from the pack has been questioned by police in connection with their investigation of Mueller, he said.

Mueller had been in a transition period between being a scout and an adult leader, however, he would have been subject to a background check to continue volunteering with the group, McFee said. 

Mueller was charged March 7 with fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct and soliciting a child to engage in sexual conduct.

His initial appearance in court is scheduled April 20.