Former Overland Park Boy Scout leader charged with child sex crimes dating back years
Update: Johnson County court records show concerns about Rowland were raised months before he was arrested. That story is posted here.
A former Boy Scout leader in Overland Park has been arrested and charged with rape and child abuse, accused of crimes starting in 2010 and as recent as 2018, court records show.
Andrew Rowland, 45, was charged with rape, aggravated indecent liberties with a child involving sex, and two counts of child abuse, according to a complaint filed July 4 by prosecutors in Johnson County District Court.
Rowland, who was previously the scoutmaster for Boy Scouts of America Troop 284 in Overland Park, was arrested July 5.
He was released July 7 after posting a $100,000 bond.
According to court records, Rowland is accused of rape in August 2017 and February 2020. The criminal complaint alleges he also had sex with a child between the age of 14 and 16 in August 2017 and March 2018.
Rowland is also accused of inflicting “cruel and inhuman corporal punishment” on a child in July 2010 and March 2017, according to court records.
Brick Huffman of the Boy Scouts of America Heart of America Council on Thursday told the Shawnee Mission Post:
“This described behavior is reprehensible and runs counter to everything for which the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) stands.
“Upon learning of these reports, we took immediate action to remove this individual from Scouting and prohibit him from any future participation in our programs.”
Huffman could not immediately be reached by The Star for comment Sunday.
When reached by phone by a reporter Sunday, Rowland ended the call without commenting.
In 2018, Rowland was recognized as an “outstanding scoutmaster” for Troop 284 at the Shawnee Trails 2018 Annual Adult Recognition Dinner.
He was listed as scoutmaster of Troop 284 as recently as April 2020, according to an Adventures in Scouting newsletter issued by the Heart of America Council.
This story was originally published July 12, 2020 at 11:23 AM.
