William E. Tobiassen, a 57-year-old Corvallis-area Mutual New York life insurance agent and Boy Scout leader, pleaded guilty to charges that he sexually abused a boy he met through his Scout Troop 186. The troop met in the basement of First Christian Church in Corvallis .

Because of Tobiassen’s admission of guilt in sexually abusing several boys to a police investigator, the BSA permanently barred him from registering as a leader with them in the future and created an IV (ineligible volunteer) file for him.

Click here to see Tobiassen’s IV file. To see other Oregon Boy Scout Leaders’ IV Files, click here.



The Boy Scouts of America created these files on scout leaders and volunteers, like Mr. Tobiassen, who were charged with or convicted of inappropriate conduct with children, including sexually abuse, molestation, or exploiting Boy Scouts, Explorer Scouts and Sea Scouts.

Tobiassen’s IV file states that he plead guilty to misdemeanor charges of sexually abusing a 16 year-old boy.

In a news alert from Oregon Trail Council Scout Executive Jerry Dempsey, “According to confidential police sources, Tobiassen has been involved with a number of youths over a period of some 17 years.”

The civil lawsuit against the Oregon Trail Council regarding how they handled reports that Tobiassen was sexually abusing kids resulted in the highest verdict against the Oregon Trail Council of the Boy Scouts of America at that time – $4 million in general damages.

According to an OPB news report, Tobiassen died in Salem in 1994. According to Appendix A of Tobiassen’s IV File, he was married with 4 kids of his own.

If you have any information about former Boy Scouts leader Bill E. Tobiassen, or about any Boy Scout leader or volunteer, we would like to talk to you on a confidential basis. Please contact us at 503-306-0224, or email us.