The Boy Scouts of America is coming under increased scrutiny after mounting allegations have surfaced that potentially thousands of scout leaders allegedly sexually abused children in scouting organizations across the country, including in Massachusetts.

Boston Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, who successfully sued the Catholic Church on behalf of clergy abuse victims, is representing more than 25 Massachusetts residents who say they were molested as Boy Scouts.

Garabedian said the pattern of alleged abuse at the Boy Scouts follows a familiar script as the clergy abuse.

“You have the sexual abuse of innocent children by a trusted authority figure, and the related secrecy of the abuse and of the perpetrator, and you have supervisors turning their backs on innocent children,” Garabedian said.

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The regional Boy Scouts council did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Garabedian said his clients were molested as youths by scoutmasters or other volunteers, including Catholic priests who attended Boy Scout meetings.

Boy Scouts of America has faced increasing abuse claims in recent years, and lawsuits in New York and New Jersey have revealed that the organization kept secret files on adult volunteers who posed a risk to children.

Garabedian said that just like with the clergy abuse scandal, Boy Scouts of America kept the names of alleged abusers in a secret file and away from public scrutiny.

“The perversion files are the equivalent of the church's secret files where they don't want to release the names of perpetrators or sexual abusers,” Garabedian said. “They want to keep the matter confidential; they want to keep it secret to protect the institution.”

Garabedian said that he expects "a wave of victims to come forward by adults who were sexually abused as children" due to the news circulating about alleged abuse within the Boy Scouts.

“It’s been my experience [that] once the news gets out there, they feel empowered, emboldened and courageous,” he said.