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An Ottawa man has launched a $4.5-million negligence suit against Scouts Canada for the sexual abuse that he claims to have suffered at the hands of a notorious scout leader in the late 1970s.

The civil lawsuit, launched last month by a man identified only as C.M., alleges that he was abused by scout leader John Allan Brown after meeting him in 1977. C.M. was then a 13-year-old boy scout in Brockville, and Brown was a leader with the 8th District Scout Troop.

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According to a statement of claim filed in the case, Brown befriended C.M., took him on camping trips and brought him back to his Brockville home, where he repeatedly sexually assaulted him.

Brown died in an Ontario prison in March 2010 — 13 years after he was declared a dangerous offender because of his sex crimes.

C.M.’s lawyer, Rob Talach, contends that Brown used the position and uniform given to him by Scouts Canada to facilitate the abuse — and to ensure that the boy scout did not tell anyone about it.