Pennsylvania Judge Arrested for Child Sexual Abuse is Volunteer with Religious Youth Program, SNAP Calls for Outreach
A judge from Pennsylvania who was recently arrested for child sexual abuse is apparently a leader for a religious children’s group. Now we call on church and group leaders to ensure that they investigate whether or not any children from their program were groomed or hurt by the judge.
Michael Schechterly, a judge for the Perry County Magisterial District in Pennsylvania, was arrested yesterday for sexually abusing a 12-year-old boy at his home in 2012. We are especially concerned with this case because it has been revealed that Schechterly is a leader for a local Royal Rangers group, a youth group that is similar to the Boy and Girl Scouts and that is run out of a local church in Newport. We know that most abusers have more than one victim and that abusers seek out roles that will give them access to their victims.
We believe that national and local Rangers staff should use every resource they have in order to ensure that every parent that ever participated in the Rangers program during Schechterly’s tenure is informed of the allegations. Most child sexual abuse cases are not reported until years later, and it is possible that there are hidden victims who are dealing with the trauma of child sexual abuse on their own. Given that multiple incidents of abuse and grooming behavior have been reported, we strongly believe there are more victims. We hope that Rangers staff are doing everything they can to ensure their children are safe and that parents and communities are informed.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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