Former Boy Scout camp director pleads guilty in Ogle County to sexually abusing teenager in 2004

OREGON – A Morrison man who is a former Boy Scout leader and teacher pleaded guilty Wednesday to sexually abusing a 15-year-old boy 20 years ago.

Jason L. Endress, 45, was sentenced to four years probation with special conditions after pleading guilty to one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse that prosecutors said stemmed from a summer 2004 incident when he was a director at Camp Lowden, a Boy Scout camp east of Oregon.

Endress and his attorney, James Mertes, appeared before Judge John Redington, with Ogle County Assistant State’s Attorney Allison Huntley representing the state, when the plea agreement was approved.

Huntley told the court that the sexual abuse occurred between May 24 and Sept. 6, 2004, when Endress was at least five years older than the teenager.

“The defendant does not have any other criminal history,” Huntley said.

Redington asked Endress how he wanted to plea after Huntley read the charge. “Guilty your honor,” Endress replied.

Endress was arrested June 25, 2023, after the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office received a call on June 23, 2023, from Emily Cross, chief operating officer of the Boy Scouts’ Blackhawk Area Council. Cross told police that the organization’s hotline received a call with the allegations.

The council is chartered by the national Boy Scouts of America and is headquartered in Rockford, serving southwestern Wisconsin and northwestern Illinois. In Illinois, it runs Canyon Camp, between Stockton and Apple River, and Camp Lowden.

During an August 2023 preliminary hearing, Ogle County Sheriff’s Lt. Brian Ketter testified that he contacted the hotline caller who said he was a camper at Camp Lowden in 2003 and 2004, when Endress, then 25, was a director.

Ketter testified that the teenager met Endress when he was 14, they “got along very well,” and he returned, again as a camper, in 2004, when their “bond grew closer.”

Ketter said the victim reported the incident 19 years later because it “started to bother him so he called the hotline looking for help.” Ketter also testified that he and an Illinois State Police special agent listened in on a telephone conversation in July 2023 that the victim had with Endress. When the victim asked Endress if he loved him “when we had sex and everything” Endress replied that he did, Ketter testified.

Ketter also said Endress asked the man whether he had told his therapist about the incident, and then wondered if it had been reported.

On Wednesday, Redington, as per the plea agreement, also sentenced Endress to 180 days in jail, but delayed that sentence until Sept. 27, 2026, adding that Endress would not have to serve the jail time if he adhered to all the conditions of the probation order.

“If you do all that is in the probation order you won’t have to come to jail,” Redington told Endress.

Endress was a teacher at Clinton High School in Clinton, Iowa, for 22 years before being put on paid administrative leave in August 2023. He remained free on $100,000 bond after posting $10,000 after his arrest.

Two counts of criminal sexual assault and another count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, stemming from the same time period, were dismissed as part of Wednesday’s plea agreement.

Basic probation conditions of Endress’ sentence include him not having contact with the victim, registering as a lifetime sex offender, reporting and personally appearing before probation officers, not possessing firearms or other dangerous weapons and surrendering any FOID or concealed carry licenses, submitting to DNA testing within 45 days and paying that collection fee, allowing home visits from probation officers, and informing the probation department of any change of address or phone number.

Supplemental conditions of Endress’ probation order are:

• Undergo and successfully complete sex offender treatment by a treatment provider approved by the Sex Offender Management Board and conducted in conformance with the standards developed under the Sex Offender Management Board Act.

• Not reside at the same address or in the same condominium unit or apartment unit or in the same condominium complex or apartment complex with another person he knows or reasonably should know is a convicted sex offender or has been placed on supervision for a sex offense.

• Not communicate with or contact, by means of the Internet, a person who is not related to him and whom the he believes to be under 18 years of age. (A person is “not related” to the defendant unless they are the spouse, brother, sister, a descendant, a first or second cousin, a stepchild, or adopted child of the defendant.)

• Refrain from accessing or using a social networking website as defined in Section 17-0.5 of the Criminal Code of 2012.

• Not participate in a holiday event involving children under 18 years of age, such as distributing candy or other items to children on Halloween, wearing a Santa Claus costume on or preceding Christmas, being employed as a department store Santa Claus, or wearing an Easter Bunny costume on or preceding Easter. (Unless the defendant is a parent or guardian of the person under 18 years of age who is present in the home, and no non-familiar minors are present)

• Not knowingly use any computer scrub software on any computer that he uses.

• Not find or maintain employment to perform volunteer work that gives him access to or authority or control over children under 18 years of age.

• No contact, directly or indirectly, with children under the age of 18 without prior order of the court or prior written approval of his probation officer.

• Be responsible for all fees and costs of treatment, assessment, evaluation, risk and treatment and monitoring based on his ability to pay.

• Be available for all evaluations and treatment programs required by the court or the probation department.

Redington agreed to allow Endress to travel outside the state, to Iowa for medical and mental health treatments and to care for his parents.

A status hearing has been set for Sept. 26, 2026.

The Boy Scouts of America provided this statement to Shaw Local after Endress arrest in 2023.

Statement from the Boy Scouts of America:

“Jason Endress’s involvement in Scouting ended in June 2023 after BSA learned of allegations of inappropriate behavior that occurred nearly two decades ago.

“Upon being advised of the allegations, the Blackhawk Area Council immediately contacted law enforcement and took actions to preclude Mr. Endress from further participation in Scouting. The Council will continue to cooperate with law enforcement as requested.

“Endress is no longer permitted to register or participate in the Boy Scouts of America in any capacity.”

According to Camp Lowden’s Facebook page, Endress became camp director in summer 2018. He had been involved with the Scouts more than 30 years, starting with boyhood membership in Morrison troops.

He earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 1996, three years after he joined Camp Lowden staff as a counselor-in-training.

“He has worked in various instructor and director positions continuously since then,” according to the post.

Plagued by thousands of claims of sexual abuse over several decades, Boy Scouts of America filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2020, seeking a financial restructuring that would allow it to provide “equitable compensation” to survivors and their families. In nine months – the time claimants were given to seek compensation – more than 92,000 sexual abuse claims were filed with the bankruptcy court.

In its statement to Shaw Local regarding the sex abuse charges filed against Endress, BSA included the following:

Nothing is more important than the safety and protection of youth in our programs – it is our top priority. The BSA’s multilayered process of safeguards includes the following measures, all of which are designed to act as barriers to abuse:

• Mandatory youth protection training for all volunteers and employees.
• A leadership policy that requires at least two youth protection-trained adults be present with youth at all times during Scouting activities and bans one-on-one situations where adults would have any interaction alone with children – either in person, online, or via phone or text.
• A thorough screening process for adult leaders and staff, including criminal background checks.
• A ban on the use of recording devices/cellphones near bathrooms and shower houses.
• The prompt mandatory reporting of any allegation or suspicion of abuse to law enforcement.
• The BSA also offers a 24/7 Scouts First Helpline (1-844-SCOUTS1) and an email address (scouts1st@scouting.org) for help reporting suspected abuse or inappropriate behavior.

Go to Scouting.org/YouthSafety for more information about the BSA’s youth protection policies.