Nassau County Boy Scouts master arrested, accused of child abuse

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — On Tuesday, June 11, the Nassau County Sheriff's Office arrested Eric Willy Modinger, 40, of Yulee, on child abuse charges, the Sheriff's Office said. He was located at 86029 Paige's Dairy Road and taken to the Nassau County Jail.

A member of the Boy Scouts of America Protection Council contacted NCSO and advised officers of an incident the night before where Modinger allegedly beat a child, a report said. A witness to the incident also said that Modinger was seen putting the victim in a chokehold between "throwing the victim around the room."

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The mother of the child filed a report with Duval County Public Schools and contacted the Boy Scouts organization, the report stated. This is because Modinger was a member/scoutmaster at the time of the incident, according to the report.

The Boy Scouts of America sent Action News Jax the following statement:

"This behavior is unacceptable and runs counter to everything for which the Boy Scouts of America stands. Upon learning of these allegations, we immediately notified law enforcement. We have also removed this individual and prohibited him from any future participation in our programs.

"Nothing is more important than the safety and protection of children in our Scouting programs – it is our top priority. The BSA's mandatory reporting policy requires that all persons involved in Scouting report to local authorities any good-faith suspicion or belief that any youth is being, or has been, physically or sexually abused. This policy empowers all in the Scouting community to recognize, respond, and report abuse."

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