Ex-scout leader in Nebraska facing additional felonies in child exploitation case
Previous charges involved officer posing as teen; new charges involve children ages 11-16
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - A former Boy Scouts leader in Nebraska already charged with child sex crimes is now facing additional related felonies.
Last week, an indictment was handed down showing that John Shores Jr. is now charged with seven felonies: three for child enticement, three for attempted sexual exploitation of children, and one for distributing child pornography.
Court documents state that the alleged incidents happened between July 2020 and August of this year, with victims ages 11 to 16.
Shores has not been associated with the Boy Scouts in any way since Aug. 11.
The new charges will supercede his previous charges, and a motion to revoke his release — granted at his initial hearing in August — has been filed. Prosecutors say his release “poses a significant danger to the community.”
Records show that the new charges stem from a preliminary review of Shore’s cell phones. Authorities say Shore tried to meet underage girls for sex, asked for photos, and offered payment for favors.
He was initially charged with one count of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of attempted enticement of a minor. During his detention hearing Aug. 16, a judge ruled that he be released from custody.
At that time, prosecutors alleged that Shores was in contact with an undercover agent who was posing as a 13-year-old girl. During chat conversations, Shores is accused of asking the agent, who he believed was a young teenage girl, to send sexually explicit photos of herself.
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Correction: A previous version of this story listed one of the charges incorrectly. 6 News regrets the error.
Assistant News Director Katherine Bjoraas and Digital Director Gina Dvorak contributed to this report.
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