Percival Outland, a former counselor at the Germantown Boys & Girls Club, is accused of having sexual contact with a 12-year-old boy at the Kimmel Center.
On May 8, Outland escorted the boy and several other youth on a field trip to the Kimmel Center. At one point, Outland allegedly followed the boy into a restroom and attempted to have sexual contact with him.
During the return trip, Outland allegedly smoked marijuana, drank alcohol and attempted to have additional sexual contact with the boy.
When the boy’s mother arrived, she briefly questioned Outland about the delay in returning her son. Noticing that her son was upset, the mother eventually elicited information from the boy that led to Outland’s arrest on July 23.
PGN doesn’t publish the names of alleged sexual-assault victims without their consent, and is withholding the names of the boy and his mother.
Outland, 39, is charged with unlawful sexual contact with a minor, corruption of minors, indecent assault and simple assault. He’s been released on bail, and a preliminary hearing is set for 10 a.m. Sept. 3 in Courtroom 5F of the Criminal Justice Center, 1301 Filbert St.
Outland is also a named defendant in a civil suit filed by the boy’s mother on Aug. 11. Additional defendants include the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Germantown Boys & Girls Club.
Boys & Girls Clubs provide after-school programming for youth in an effort to build character and help create responsible adults.
The civil suit lists six counts against defendants: negligence, child sexual abuse, civil conspiracy to endanger children, premise liability, false imprisonment, negligent misrepresentation and negligent supervision.
The civil suit seeks more than $5 million in damages for the boy and his mother, who are in counseling due to the experience. The civil suit also alleges Outland exchanged inappropriate text messages in the past with a 13-year-old boy, yet the Germantown Boys & Girls Club retained Outland as an employee.
Raheem S. Watson, an attorney for the boy and his mother, expressed hope that the civil suit will have a beneficial effect.
“I think the [Germantown] Boys & Girls Club has a great model, a great mission and a great group of people running the organization,” Watson told PGN. “But there also seems to be a culture of allowing bad people to infiltrate the organization and do bad things to kids. That has to end. And we’re hoping this lawsuit will serve as a very clear message to the Boys & Girls Club that they have to do better.”
The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, based in Atlanta, issued this statement: “Boys & Girls Clubs of America is aware of a lawsuit related to alleged sexual misconduct by a former employee of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia. Child protection and safety is the number-one priority of Boys & Girls Clubs. Every Club organization is committed to the highest standards of ethical behavior and integrity and does not tolerate inappropriate or illegal activity on the part of any staff member, board member or volunteer. All staff and volunteers must undergo a thorough criminal background check. All supervisory policies are designed to ensure the maximum safety and protection of Club members and staff. Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia will continue to cooperate fully with all legal proceedings and law-enforcement authorities involved in the proper adjudication of this case, and will withhold further comment until the legal process is completed.”