The family of the victim, now 20, sued the Boy Scouts, alleging the organization was negligent in its handling of the matter.

A judge ruled earlier this month that the plaintiffs could use the Scouts’ secret “perversion files,” which outline years of molestation claims and incidents, as evidence in the trial, a ruling that opened the door to possible public release of the files.

“We regret there have been times when the BSA’s best efforts to protect children were insufficient, and for that we extend our deepest apologies to victims and their families,” officials with the Boy Scouts said in a statement Thursday.

The lawsuit stemmed from a 2007 incident involving volunteer Scout leader Al Steven Stein, then 29, who was charged with abusing the 13-year-old Scout and two other boys.

Stein pleaded no contest to a felony child-endangerment charge. He was placed on five years’ probation but violated it by having photos of nude children stored on his cellphone. He was sentenced to two years in prison but was paroled early and is now registered as a sex offender in Salinas.

Scout officials said they could not disclose terms of the settlement. The victim’s attorney could not be reached for comment.

“While we can’t comment on the specifics related to this…