Former Sea Scout Leader Sentenced to Six Years

The former leader of the Berkeley Sea Scouts was sentenced to six years in state prison Tuesday after pleading no contest to charges of molesting teenage boys on his boat.

In a plea bargain with prosecutors, Eugene Evans, 65, of Kensington pleaded guilty to two counts of molestation. Evans was charged with 13 counts of sexually abusing three teenagers between 2004 and 2007 and five counts of providing pornography to minors.

Though more than three former sea scouts have claimed to have been sexually abused by Evans, the Alameda County District Attorney's Office has been prevented from pursuing additional charges because of limitations on how long the suspect can be prosecuted after crimes occur, said Deputy District Attorney Susan Torrence.

Evans was sentenced to three years in prison for each of the counts. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims and must be registered with the state as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

The Sea Scout program is a branch of the Boy Scouts of America that allows teenage boys to participate in maritime activities. Evans ran the Berkeley Sea Scouts for more than 30 years after he obtained a boat in the 1970s until allegations of sexual abuse were reported to the Berkeley Police Department in 2007.

About 20 former scouts were present at the hearing Tuesday to support Evans. Many of them refused to believe that Evans could have committed the crimes with which he was charged, said David Warren, the grandfather of a former scout.

"They were convinced he was being railroaded by the court," Warren said."

Torrence said she believes that there was an ongoing history of sexual abuse on the boat, but that victims did not come forward until recently because of the culture of secrecy Evans created.

Evans frequently told the boys that "what happens on the boat, stays on the boat," Torrence said. "He created a culture of toleration (of such behavior) on the boat."

Warren said that Evans ran the program like a cult.

"They all had to think alike," Warren said. "There was fear of dissent."

According to Torrence, former scouts reported that Evans showed them pornographic videos and magazines. There were also reports that he frequently made sexist and racist comments, she said.

But Phil Schnayerson, Evans' defense attorney, described Evans as "a flawed person who had done some wonderful work in the community."

"He helped hundreds of kids who went through sea scouts," Schnayerson said.

Warren said he was skeptical of Evans' behavior even before the allegations of misconduct were made public. He said Evans would not allow the boys' parents to volunteer on the boat so that the boys would develop a sense of independence.

"It seemed like all parents were shut out of it," he said.

Tags: SEA SCOUTS