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Former Roseville Boy Scout leader pleads guilty to criminal sexual conduct

By Amber Ainsworth
Published  November 1, 2022 11:43am EDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 2 Detroit
article

Mark Chapman

ROSEVILLE, Mich. (FOX 2) - A former Roseville Boy Scout leader pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct charges stemming from an investigation into the assaults of children.

Mark Chapman, 51, of New York was a troop scout leader in Michigan when the crimes happened.

Authorities said the first incidents started in 2000 around the time the victim was 13 or 14 and continued until he was 17 years old. The assaults happened at the victim’s father’s house, at Chapman’s house, and at the local church. 

The second case involved a family member who was around 11 years old when the abuse by Chapman began. The abuse went on for years and often revolved around times that were designated as special opportunities for Chapman to spend time with the boy, authorities said.

Chapman was involved in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the Boy Scouts of America when the crimes were committed.

He pleaded guilty to:

  • One count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, with a sentence agreement of 12-20 years in the Michigan Department of Corrections, lifetime sex offender registration, and lifetime electronic monitoring as mandated by statute, and sex offender counseling. 
  • One count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, with a sentence agreement of 10-15 years served in the Michigan Department of Corrections, lifetime sex offender registration, and sex offender counseling.

This is the first conviction in Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's investigation into Boy Scout sex abuse.

"Securing justice for the survivors of abuse is one of my top priorities. Regardless how much time has passed, or how difficult the circumstances of a case may be, I am committed to seeing abusers held accountable for their crimes," Nessel said. "Allegations made against adults in the Boy Scouts of America are wide-ranging and my department continues to review information and evidence to pursue charges against those who used their positions of authority to harm children."