A respected Boy Scouts leader — who has spent more than two decades working with kids at a camp upstate — was thrown behind bars on Monday for possession of child pornography, according to prosecutors.

Russell T. Ruth, 34, of Lyons, was arrested and charged following an investigation by a state task force on crimes against children.

Court papers obtained by the Democrat and Chronicle outline the allegations against him, including how he flat-out told authorities about his alleged kiddie porn stash.

“It’s boys, it’s boys with boys, boys with men,” Ruth reportedly told cops, noting how there were several hundred files on his laptop.

The longtime Boy Scouts of America leader went on to say that he wasn’t proud of himself, according to the court papers.

“[I] always thought there was something wrong with me,” Ruth added. “It’s almost like an addiction.”

Investigators found hundreds of images and videos on Ruth’s computer during a forensic examination, according to prosecutors.

They had been tipped off in May by an anonymous individual, who stumbled upon five suspected child porn files on a Yahoo server. Authorities linked the IP address to Ruth’s account and eventually traced it back to his residence upstate, officials said.

The man was arrested on Monday and charged with possession of child pornography. He will remain in custody until his next court appearance on July 11. His case is being handled by the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.

According to the Chronicle, Ruth has been working as the crafts director at Babcock Hovey Scout Camp in Ovid, New York. He was honored in 2017 for 25 years of service — and had previously received the District Award of Merit and “Extra Miler” award for going “above and beyond” his duties.

Boy Scouts officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment about his arrest.