SPOKANE -- Leaders of the Morning Star Boys' Ranch have moved millions of dollars worth of assets to a nonprofit foundation in advance of the first trial over sexual abuse lawsuits against the home for troubled youth.

Federal tax documents show the ranch in 2007 transferred more than $12 million in securities and other assets to the Morning Star Boys' Ranch Foundation, an organization that supports youth sports and other charities.

That happened after the filing of 18 lawsuits against Morning Star Boys' Ranch and some of its employees by former residents of the Spokane facility. The lawsuits alleged beatings and sexual abuse.

Morning Star and its supporters have denied those allegations.