Ex-Nebraska Scouts leader accused of child sex crimes enters plea

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A former Nebraska Boy Scouts leader accused of child sex crimes entered a plea in federal court Thursday.

John Shores, Jr., 54, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. He faces 15-20 years in prison as part of the plea agreement, which included the dismissal of several similar charges. Acting U.S. Attorney Susan Lehr reminds the public there is no parole in the federal system.

In August 2023, Shores used the social messaging platform Whisper to communicate with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old female.

Shores asked the officer to exchange naked pictures and eventually arranged to meet with the user, fully under the belief that he’d be encountering a teenage girl. When Shores arrived at the location where they arranged the meeting, officers seized four phones from his vehicle.

The devices underwent forensic examination, which revealed that in July 2020, Shores had conversed with an actual 13-year-old girl living in southeastern Nebraska, who investigators were able to identify.

Shores had previously been associated with the Boy Scouts, but officials with the organization confirmed shortly after the initial allegations last August that he was no longer involved.

Shores is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 23.

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