A man who says he was sexually abused by a scout leader in the mid-1970s won a $US7 million ($A7.57 million) jury verdict against the Boy Scouts of America.
Lawyers for the man say the decision is the largest against the Boy Scouts.
The jury also found the organisation liable for punitive damages, with the amount to be determined by a judge.
The man, known only as John Doe in court documents, alleges he was a member of a Scouts troop when its leader, Siegfried Hepp, sexually abused him three times.
The plaintiff's lawyers presented evidence that Scouts' officials kept confidential files dating back to the 1920s that contained information on alleged pedophiles.
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Plaintiffs' lawyers have alleged that Scouts officials knew scouting programs were being targeted by pedophiles, but they took no steps to protect boys or warn local troops, scouts or their families about the dangers.
