Former Cresco Boy Scout leader accused of abusing troop members

CRESCO — A former Cresco Boy Scout leader was arrested today by Cresco police and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation after an investigation into sexual abuse allegations.

The DCI says 73-year-old James Hughes is charged with four counts of third-degree sexual abuse and six counts of lascivious acts with a minor involving five former Boy Scouts.

The investigation against Hughes started with a 2021 complaint that he sexually abused a juvenile troop member for several years. The investigation found several other incidents of alleged abuse of juvenile Boy Scouts in his troop that spanned more than a decade.

Hughes was arrested and taken to the Howard County Jail on a $46,000 cash bond.