A Weedsport man who had been a longtime volunteer with the Boy Scouts was arrested Saturday on charges that he sexually abused two children, Cayuga County Sheriff's Office officials said.

Charles "Chuck" H. Seamans, 46, of 26 Evergreen Lane, was arrested after being questioned at the Cayuga County Public Safety Building. Authorities charged him with two felony counts of first-degree sexual abuse and two misdemeanor counts of second-degree sexual abuse.

The sheriff's office confirmed Monday that Seamans was an assistant scout master with the Boy Scouts' Cayuga County Council until Jan. 9, one day before the investigation began. He had been involved with the council for approximately nine years and resigned for an unrelated internal reason, according to sheriff's and Boy Scout officials.

Sheriff's detective Lt. Joseph Weeks said the charges stem from allegations of multiple incidents involving the two boys, who were both Boy Scout members, that occurred over a period of approximately two years in Seneca and Cayuga counties. An alleged incident in Seneca County occurred during a scout function, Weeks said.

During a search of Seamans' residence Friday, authorities seized computer and camera equipment, according to the sheriff's officials. Weeks said investigators went to the residence "looking for specific evidence" and seized the equipment as part of the investigation. The evidence will undergo forensic computer analysis, officials said.

The sheriff's office did not release the age of either victim Monday, but both children were under the age of 13 at the time of the alleged abuse, according to officials.

Don Grillo, council executive for the scouts in Cayuga County, said that council leadership found out about the allegations during the sheriff's office investigation. The council has revoked Seamans' membership and will cooperate with the investigation, he said.

"We take any of these types of allegations very seriously," Grillo said Monday.

For more, read Tuesday's Citizen