Childhood Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

Childhood sexual abuse is any sexual activity that occurs between a child and an adult. The activity may involve direct physical contact, but other sexual activity involving a minor can still be sexual abuse. Activities that can be considered childhood sexual abuse may include:

• Engaging in lewd or obscene conversations with a child
• Forcing a child to perform a sexual act
• Performing sexual acts with a minor or in front of a child
• Sex trafficking

These acts can leave long-term psychological damage to survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

While sexual abuse is committed by individuals, institutions such as religious institutions, youth-serving organizations or schools may be held accountable for these actions.

An attorney can determine:

• Whether your claim meets the state’s definition of sexual abuse – this is driven by state law where the abusive acts occurred
• Who can be named as a defendant in your claim
• Applicable statutes of limitations and whether lookback window laws may apply to your claims

Signs of childhood sexual abuse

People who experienced childhood sexual abuse often exhibit signs of abuse when they are children and can continue as adults. Sadly, survivors of sexual abuse may not even recognize the impact of their sexual abuse on their present-day life, even into adulthood.

A 2019 study compared information from four databases to study the impacts of childhood sex abuse. The researchers found that child sex abuse was linked to several adult psychiatric diagnoses, negative psychosocial outcomes and physical health conditions. Here are some of the conditions with the strongest links to sex abuse as a minor:

• Anxiety
• Borderline personality disorder
• Conversion disorders
• Depression

The study also linked child sex assault and abuse to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance misuse and schizophrenia.

Signs that a child may have experienced sexual abuse

Here is an overview of behaviors a child may exhibit if they are experiencing or may have experienced sexual abuse:

• Acting younger than developmental age
• Developmentally inappropriate questions about sexual contact or acts
• Depression
• Difficulty sleeping
• Disordered eating
• Excessive play with own body parts
• Fear of being alone with a certain person
• Fear of being in certain places
• Genital pain
• Rectal bleeding
• Reluctance to be touched
• Self-harm
• Severe anxiety or anger
• Substance abuse
• Sudden changes in personality
• Wetting the bed or clothes

Adult signs of sex abuse

Some signs that an adult may have experienced sexual assault or abuse in their youth include:

• Chronic physical pain, especially in the abdominal or pelvic areas
• Disturbances in sexual function
• Mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders or self-neglect
• Nightmares or flashbacks
• Physical inactivity
• Reluctance toward healthcare, such as pap tests or prenatal care
• Substance abuse, such as alcoholism, drug abuse or smoking
• Vulnerability to being victimized or exploited

Unfortunately, child sex abuse can occur in a number of scenarios. Motley Rice attorneys have a depth of experience litigating cases against large, organized and well-connected institutions and individuals, such as:

• Athletic clubs and teams
• Childcare facilities
• Foster families
• Group homes
• Medical practices
• Religious institutions
• Universities and colleges

In many instances, lawsuits are brought against the abusers and the institution that knew, or should have known, about the abuse and failed to report it. People who work in schools, churches, athletic clubs, summer camps and others who work with children may be required by law to report suspected abuse to their state’s children’s services agency or law enforcement. These people are called mandated reporters.

The consequences of someone keeping quiet when they are obligated to report can be severe and may include civil liability, criminal fines and even imprisonment. Civil litigation could help victims hold organizations accountable for neglecting their duty to protect vulnerable children.

There are situations that can lead to civil court claims related to sex abuse against organizations and individuals.

Read more in David Hoyle’s blog post: Silence is not golden.

Sexual abuse at religious institutions

Alleged abuse by clergy members, religious officials and others connected with religious groups is a frequent source of civil sex abuse lawsuits. Organizations like the Catholic Church may also have the financial resources and connections to cover up the abuses of individuals they employ – or intimidate them into silence.

In many cases, the perpetrator’s position as a respected community figure makes it difficult for victims to stand up for themselves. Motley Rice represents a man in his 60s who waited decades to file a civil case against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn. The case includes charges for negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent supervision and failure to warn, negligent hiring, fraud and other claims.

Motley Rice attorneys also represent numerous plaintiffs in lawsuits against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, including The Church of Our Lady Help of Christians and associated Parish School.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also faces numerous sex abuse lawsuits. It is alleged that the organization was aware of the abuses of church officials and attempted to cover them up for decades.

Sexual abuse at schools or daycares

Unfortunately, school employees can use their positions of authority to prey on young people. In some cases, numerous children may be victimized at school before the perpetrators face arrest or lawsuits.

For example, at least five women have filed lawsuits for sex abuse they endured from a music teacher when they were middle school students. Motley Rice represents these plaintiffs.

Read more about Motley Rice school sex abuse cases.

Sexual abuse at camps and other organizations and programs

Sometimes, sexual abuse happens at youth camps and other educational programs like the Boy Scouts of America. In 2021, the organization agreed to an $850 million settlement for 60,000 men who were sexually abused in their youth. The settlement eventually grew to $1.6 billion and required former Boy Scouts to file proof of their sexual abuse claims.

The organization also covered up the actions of the perpetrators. The Boy Scouts of America filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy before the settlement but restructured itself to compensate the victims.

Sexual abuse in youth sports

Youth sports should be a great opportunity to build character, fitness and friendships. But some coaches, team managers and club staff members have exploited their positions of power over student athletes and have been involved in numerous sex abuse claims.

These abuses can occur at all levels of sports. For example, a 12-year-old hockey player claimed he was sexually abused in 2021 by his youth hockey coach. This led to a lawsuit against the company that owns the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL).

In 2018, US Youth Soccer and the California Youth Soccer Association North (Cal North) agreed to an $8.2 million settlement. The case involved a coach who sexually abused a 12-year-old player. The organizations didn’t require or perform criminal background checks of potential coaches. The coach accused of the sex abuse had a domestic violence conviction that would have disqualified him.

Motley Rice was not involved in these cases.

It’s difficult to provide a pathway of certainty for survivors of childhood sex abuse to heal. But isolation may be a huge obstacle to overcoming the physical trauma and mental health harms.

In addition to therapy, holding perpetrators accountable can be part of the healing process. Those who preyed sexually on children or allowed it to happen should face civil and criminal legal consequences. A lawyer using a trauma-informed approach may be able to help you receive justice while reducing re-traumatizing experiences.

Motley Rice attorneys who represent child sex abuse survivors use trauma-informed legal practices that prioritize the client relationship and protect the survivor’s mental and emotional health.

Deciding to file a civil lawsuit can cause a survivor to re-live stress, fear, embarrassment and shame of their sexual abuse. Using a trauma-informed approach, the attorneys at Motley Rice will work with each client to tell their story and work towards financial compensation for these wrongs. We understand a client may experience some level of re-traumatization through this process. But, it is our goal to reduce re-traumatization through our client-centered litigation approach.

Our attorneys can also review the facts of your case, the statute of limitations and the applicable local laws. They can also collect documentation, records and other evidence to pursue your claim.

Statutes of limitations for child sex abuse vary by state. But more state legislatures are recognizing that the trauma, shame and anxiety of being sexually abused as a child can make a person wait for years or even decades before coming forward. In some cases, the victim may have even repressed memories of the events.

That makes many statutes of limitations inadequate. Elected officials are addressing this by passing window laws or lookback laws. In 2024, 11 states passed legislation to modify statutes of limitations for criminal cases and/or civil sex abuse claims.

Read more about lookback windows.

What damages can sexual abuse victims receive?

Typical compensatory damages in sexual abuse lawsuits can include financial compensation for:

• Emotional distress
• Healthcare costs
• Pain and suffering
• Punitive damages

A trauma-informed lawyer can help a victim of sexual abuse seek a fair amount of compensation.

How common is child sex abuse?

One of the challenges of childhood sexual abuse statistics is that victims may be reluctant to come forward. From the data available, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) estimates that authorities find evidence for a child sex abuse claim every 9 minutes. RAINN also claims that one in nine girls and one in 20 boys younger than 18 experience some form of sex abuse crimes.

What should I do if I was sexually abused as a child?

If you or a loved one have been sexually abused, first contact local law enforcement to see if you can pursue criminal charges. Then, consider consulting resources to help you deal with the physical and mental trauma of the abuse.

When you are ready to consider a civil lawsuit, seek legal advice from a trauma-informed lawyer.

Will I have to testify in court if I file a sex abuse lawsuit?

It’s possible that you won’t have to testify in court if you file a sex abuse lawsuit. In some cases, lawsuits settle out of court. Also, courts increasingly recognize the potential trauma of an accuser facing their abuser in court. Some courts may allow other forms of providing testimony via video, but that decision rests in the hands of each individual judge and relevant state or federal law.

However, even if you aren’t required to testify in court, you may have to discuss your experiences during a deposition. A trauma-informed sex abuse attorney can provide more details about whether you’ll need to face your accuser in court or how a deposition may proceed.

Our attorneys have pursued high-profile cases against powerful, well-funded defendants such as the Boy Scouts of America and the Catholic Church. We use trauma-informed lawyering to respect the past experience of our client – and we put their emotional and mental health first.

Our team also advocates for human trafficking survivors, labor tracking survivors and adult sexual abuse survivors.

Read more about human rights litigation experience.