Orange County Settles Unreported Child Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
Orange County, California, recently agreed to a settlement in a case involving unreported child sexual abuse. In a recent meeting, Orange County supervisors voted to settle the lawsuit for $4.5 million. The lawsuit alleges that social workers failed to take appropriate action following a report of the sexual abuse of two young brothers. The abuse allegedly occurred at the hands of a family friend and continued even after the abuse was reported.
Inappropriate Touching By a Family Friend
The unreported child sexual abuse was first discovered when the four-year-old boy made sexual motions that were not typical for his age. A young boy should not know these types of sexual actions unless he was a victim of sexual abuse. This prompted the preschool teacher to alert the mother. The mother sought help from the County of Orange Social Services Agency, a part of the government. The mother was separated from her husband and was concerned about what was occurring when the boys visited with their father. Allegedly, the father often left the boys in the care of a male friend of the family.
Unreported Child Sexual Abuse – Insufficient Investigation
The County of Orange Social Services Agency representative investigated the report and “found the allegations lacking.” Therefore the agency closed the investigation without taking any further actions or making any recommendations. Unfortunately, the abuse did not stop. The children continued to endure years of sexual abuse by the family friend. The alleged abuser was finally arrested in 2018 and charged with 26 counts of sexual abuse that date back to 2000. The father of the boys would leave them in the charged man’s care when he would go out to drink, according to court records.
Lawsuit Filed in 2018
The mother of the boys filed a lawsuit against Orange County in 2018. The lawsuit alleged that Orange County was negligent because it failed to properly investigate the reports of child sexual abuse. Further, the boys suffered continued and extensive harm because the proper steps were not taken to stop the abuse and report the abuser to the police. When the abuse began, the children were too young to even understand what was happening. Finally, the man was arrested in 2018, facing many charges of child sexual abuse, including lewd and lascivious behavior. The alleged perpetrator has pleaded not guilty to the charges and awaits trial.
Orange County Settles Unreported Child Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
Before going to trial, Orange County ended the lawsuit by agreeing to settle the matter. The settlement provides for a payment of $4.5 million. The Orange County supervisors voted to settle the lawsuit in a vote of 4 to 1. Although the abuse occurred years ago, the supervisors agreed by majority that they should make a payment to the mother for the negligence by their social services agency and representative. Had the agency properly investigated the claim, the perpetrator would have been stopped, and the boys would not have suffered many additional years of sexual abuse.
If you or a loved one are victims of child sexual abuse in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, or anywhere else in California, don’t delay. Contact our California child sexual abuse attorney at Beck Law P.C. to discuss the matter in a confidential consultation at (707) 576-7175 today.
