Los Angeles County Juvenile Probation Camp Sexual Assault

Were you sexually abused in a Los Angeles County Juvenile Probation Camp? You may be entitled to compensation.

Despite a sharp decline in recent years, the United States leads the world in youth incarceration. On any given night, as many as 50,000 youths may be incarcerated throughout the country. Unfortunately, youths in detention and corrections programs are at high risk of sexual victimization, physical abuse and battery, solitary confinement, strip searches, unnecessary use of force, and poor treatment by staff members.

In Los Angeles County, probation officers are responsible for protecting nearly 500 youths throughout six camps and two juvenile halls – down from 3,000 youths and 21 facilities at the department’s height. During the past two decades, these facilities (and the thirteen that have been closed) have been riddled with accusations of sexual harassment, sexual abuse, and rape of children by officers and employees. The victims have included boys and girls and the abusers include men and women.

A lawsuit recently filed by Manly, Stewart & Finaldi alleges that no fewer than 10 probation officers and staff members subjected 20 vulnerable female detainees to sexual abuse, harassment, and rape throughout their confinement at Camp Joseph Scott. The abuse referenced in this lawsuit took place from 1996 through 2001.

A 2010 investigation by the Los Angeles Times found that at least 11 Los Angeles County juvenile probation officers have been convicted of crimes or disciplined for inappropriate conduct involving current or former probationers, including several cases of molesting or beating youths in their care. There were 102 allegations of officer misconduct involving youths at the county’s halls and camps from 2007 to 2010.

The abuse has continued. In 2018, Los Angeles County settled a $1 million lawsuit involving a female teenager who was sexually assaulted by a provocation officer at Camp Scudder, a juvenile detention facility in Santa Clarita.

The officer was charged with committing lewd and lascivious acts with children and assaulting four female inmates under color of authority. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 364 days in jail, but he served less than a month. He did not have to register as a sex offender.

Why Does Sexual Abuse Happen in these Facilities?

According to attorney John Manly, “Vulnerable children often enter the system because of abuse they have suffered at home or on the streets. The probation system should offer these youthful offenders restorative justice instead of perpetuating their cycle of abuse. The criminal conduct of those who used their positions of authority to sexually assault these children must be exposed. These despicable people and those who enabled them must be held accountable.”

At its height, the Los Angeles County Probation Department had over 4,200 officers, 21 detention facilities, and housed over 3,000 youths per night. Over the last decade-plus, those numbers have been steadily decreased. As of 2022, the department operates just six camps and two juvenile hall centers.

Active Juvenile Camps

Facility Location
Camp Clinton B. Afflerbaugh 6631 N Stephens Ranch Rd, La Verne 91750
Camp Vernon Kilpatrick* 427 S Encinal Canyon Rd, Malibu 90265
Camp Joseph Paige* 6601 N Stephens Ranch Rd, La Verne 91750
Camp Glenn Rockey* 1900 N Sycamore Canyon Rd, San Dimas 91773
Dorothy Kirby Center  1500 S McDonnell Ave, Commerce 90022

Active Juvenile Hall Facilities

Facility Location
Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall 16350 Filbert St, Sylmar 91342; (818) 364-2011
Central Juvenile Hall 1605 Eastlake Ave, Los Angeles 90033; (323) 226-8611

Closed Juvenile Detention Facilities

  • Camp Joseph Scott, 28700 N Bouquet Canyon Rd., Santa Clarita 91390
  • Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey
  • Camp Ellison Onizuka, Camp McNair, Camp Scobee, Camp Jarvis, Camp Resnik, and Camp Smith at the Challenger Memorial Youth Center in Lancaster
  • Camp David Gonzales in Calabasas
  • Camp Karl Holton in Sylmar
  • Camp William Mendenhall in Lake Hughes
  • Camp Fred Miller in Malibu
  • Camp John Munz in Lake Hughes
  • Camp Kenyon Scudder in Santa Clarita
  • Barley Flats Camp – La Canada
  • Camp Louis Routh in Tujunga

If you were abused in any of these LA County Juvenile Probation camps, contact us today.

Your name and information will be kept completely confidential. Your right to compensation for your injuries will not be affected by your background or history. If you were under the age of 18 when the sexual assault occurred you have the right to bring a claim for compensation before December 31, 2022, no matter how long ago the assault occurred.

How Long Do I Have To File a Claim?

Recently, California revised the statute of limitations in cases involving child sexual abuse in order to give survivors more time to file. As of January 2020, survivors of childhood sexual abuse may file a claim regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred or what their current age is. This “ statutory window” will be open until December 31, 2022. Additionally, the courts are empowered to award triple damages in cases where sexual abuse was covered-up or attempted to be covered up.

This new change addresses a problem that is widespread in childhood sexual abuse cases. Often, child victims need adequate time to understand they have been abused and come to terms with what has happened. Sexual violence can also cause lead to memory loss in children that may last for decades until they remember the incident and the trauma. If you’ve been the victim of sexual assault as a child in a Los Angeles County juvenile probation camp or hall, you may be able to pursue action, even if you were previously barred. As difficult as it may be, the only way to know for sure is to speak with an attorney as soon as you are ready.

Manly, Stewart and Finaldi. Here to Help.

At Manly, Stewart and Finaldi, we are America’s leading law firm representing survivors of child sexual abuse. We are compassionate advocates for our clients and have the experience, trial acumen, and resources to take on the large institutional defendants, such as the Los Angeles County Probation Department.

We have recovered more than two billion dollars in settlements and jury verdicts on behalf of children abused in institutional settings.

  • We secured over $1 billion for clients involving the Roman Catholic Arch Diocese.
  • We are also the lead attorneys representing Olympic athletes and victims of former US Olympic Women’s Gymnastics Team Doctor Larry Nassar and secured $880 million in settlements for our clients.
  • We were the lead attorneys helping sexual abuse victims of former gynecologist George Tyndall recover $852 million from the University of Southern California.
  • Our attorneys secured settlements and trial verdicts in excess of 250 million dollars for child victims of abuse in California schools.

In each of these cases, our Los Angeles sex crimes attorneys have helped victims and their families hold the responsible organizations accountable by conducting a thorough investigation of the perpetrator and the organization that employed and enabled them. This can include coworkers and staff members who were aware of the abuse, larger institutions or organizations that failed to take action and even other law enforcement officials who were negligent in allowing the abuse to occur or continue. Due to the sensitive nature of sexual abuse cases, we can keep the case 100 percent confidential and protect your identity if that is preferred.

If you or a loved one survived sexual abuse at any juvenile probation facility in Los Angeles County, or anywhere else in California, please contact us for a free and confidential consultation.