April 15, 2014 Summary: A former teacher was arrested last week for allegedly sexually molesting a four-year-old girl.  The story is compelling, but the accusations stem entirely from the girl’s testimony which can make this case difficult to stand up in court.  This means a possible child molester could walk away clean from the...

April 15, 2014 Summary: Only months after assuming his position as the Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the largest school district in the country, John Deasy had to react to a child sexual abuse scandal at Miramonte Elementary School that indicted two teachers.  Instead of relying on a cumbersome process to...

Summary: A former West Sacramento police officer is guilty of sexually assaulting vulnerable women while on duty in government property.  The fallout from this case could cast doubt on the police department’s commitment to serving their community.  The victims in cases like these need a strong advocate who will ensure their lives are taken...

Survivors of Sexual Assault Display a Whole Range of Emotions and Responses: Some may deny part or all of what happened to them, while others may minimize how deeply it has affected them. Immediately after an assault, the survivors may appear controlled and calm while masking feelings, or may express feelings freely and openly. ...

When an individual is accused of molesting a child, he will normally face criminal charges. These charges are brought against the accused by the government. At Estey & Bomberger we represent victims of childhood molestation in civil law suits. The distinction between civil and criminal law is crucial. The graphic below clearly explains the...

Many survivors of sexual abuse struggle with feelings of isolation, guilt, and shame. These feelings can prevent victims of sexual abuse and molestation from coming forward to hold their abusers accountable in a court of law. The American Psychiatric Association categorizes involvement with the legal process as a stressor. This stress is particularly severe...

Summary: Scientific study proves that victims of child sexual abuse also suffer physiological effects along with permanent emotional scarring.  Jim Beall did right by proposing Senate Bill 131; it did better by making it to Gov. Brown despite heavy lobbying against the bill by California Republicans and the Catholic Church.  The bill, vetoed by...

Thousands of children require out-of-home foster care for countless reasons. Some children stay in foster care for a few weeks; others stay in foster care for years. Some children return to their biological parents after a stay in foster care, others are adopted, and some transition to independent living.   Regardless of their age or...

About 90 percent of children who are sexually abused know their perpetrators. This includes the local priests children respect and look up to. Even with the high profile cases involving clergy members in the early 2000s and a policy known as the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which is a...

The recent discovery of Amanda Berry, Nina DeJesus and Michele Knight, three young women who suffered being abducted and, according to police reports, raped over the course of the last decade by their captors draws attention to the issue of child sexual abuse in a dramatic way. However, sexual abuse of minors is frequently...