STOCKTON CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE ATTORNEY 

MICHAEL REHM - (209) 490-5049

FREE CONSULTATIONS

Providing representation to victims of School/Teacher/Counselor/Coach sexual assault, clergy/pastor childhood sexual abuse, Boy Scouts sexual abuse, and other institutional actor abuse matters in San Joaquin County CA.

Stockton residents were shocked when the documentary Deliver Us from Evil recounted the child sexual abuse scandal in the Stockton diocese. More recently, a Stockton resident who founded a nonprofit organization dedicated to “youth development” was arrested for sex offenses against a child.

Child sexual abuse is a nationwide problem, but history shows that Stockton is not immune to sex crimes committed against child victims. More than 1,000 registered sex offenders live in Stockton. Some sex offenders are relatives of children. The criminal justice system is often the only remedy for abusers who are related to their victims.

Other remedies are available when sex offenders are enabled by institutions and organizations that parents trust to protect their kids. California children have civil remedies when coaches, teachers, clergy, and other trusted community members molest their children.

Institutional Liability for Child Sex Offenses

Under some circumstances, institutions can be held accountable when their staff members and volunteers sexually abuse a child. California law recognizes that organizations have a heightened duty to protect children when they have “custody and control” of a child or when they are authorized to act in place of a parent. Examples include:

• Public and private schools
• School athletic programs
• School-sponsored clubs and organizations
• Youth organizations (such as Boy Scouts)
• Youth sporting organizations (such as Little League)
• Religious organizations that offer Sunday School classes
• Churches that have children play a role in services
• Community recreational programs for children
• Community centers for children
• Daycare providers

Institutions and organizations that are entrusted with the care of children have a duty to do so responsibly. At a minimum, they should screen employees and volunteers for criminal records. They must also supervise their employees and volunteers, and must respond immediately to reports of suspicious behavior. If an institution knows or should have known about sexual misconduct and turns a blind eye or declines to investigate, the institution can be legally liable for acts of sexual abuse that it could have prevented.

Remedies for Child Sexual Abuse

Criminal law punishes offenders who commit sexual abuse. Offenders who are imprisoned are not usually in a position to pay compensation to their victims. Nor does criminal law punish institutions that made the abuse possible.

Children who were sexually abused are entitled to seek civil remedies from institutions that negligently failed to protect them. Compensation for a sexual assault includes the expense of lifetime therapy to address trauma as well as compensation for pain, suffering, emotional distress, humiliation, anxiety, and the other psychological consequences of sexual abuse.

The California legislature passed a law allowing every survivor of child sexual abuse, not matter when it occurred, to sue before the end of 2022. Child sexual assault victims should ask a lawyer about the deadline for filing a lawsuit that would apply in their case.

Help for Stockton Child Sexual Abuse Victims

Several counseling services and therapists are available to help victimized children in Stockton. For example, Valley Community Counseling Services offers a no-cost child trauma treatment program for children who have been victims of sexual abuse. The San Joaquin County Children and Youth Services agency is a good starting point for referrals to providers who can help victimized children.

Stockton School Sexual Abuse Attorney Michael Rehm can help victims and their families pursue civil remedies against schools, churches, and other institutions that failed to protect their children from harm. We urge victims to obtain legal advice before they lose their right to seek a legal remedy. For more information about how the law applies to the facts of your case, call Lawyer Michael Rehm at (209) 490-5049.

STOCKTON SCHOOL SEXUAL ABUSE ATTORNEY 

MICHAEL REHM - (209) 490-5049

FREE CONSULTATIONS

Serving all of San Joaquin County, including Stockton, Lodi, Tracy, Manteca, Lathrop, Ripon, Escalon, Acampo, French Camp, Thornton, and Woodbridge California.