Editing Horatio Alger (section)

====Child sexual abuse====
Early in 1866, a church committee of men was formed to investigate reports that Alger had [[child sexual abuse|sexually molested]] boys. Church officials reported to the hierarchy in Boston that Alger had been charged with "the abominable and revolting crime of gross familiarity with boys".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.city-journal.org/html/horatio-alger-moral-story-11933.html|title = Horatio Alger: The Moral of the Story|date = December 23, 2015}}</ref>{{efn|The charge is quoted as, "the abominable and revolting crime of unnatural familiarity with boys" in<ref>{{Cite book |title=A Desired Past: A Short History of Same-Sex Love in America |first=Leila J. |last=Rupp |isbn=9780226731568 |publisher=The University of Chicago Press |date=1999 |page=67}}</ref>}} Alger denied nothing, admitted he had been imprudent, considered his association with the church dissolved, and left town.<ref>Hoyt 1974, pp. 1–6, 60–63.</ref><ref>Scharnhorst 1980, pp. 29–30.</ref> Alger sent Unitarian officials in Boston a letter of remorse, and his father assured them his son would never seek another post in the church. The officials were satisfied and decided no further action would be taken.<ref>Scharnhorst 1985, p. 3.</ref>