Sex Abuse News & Information

Protecting Sexually Abused Kids from Revictimization

The California legislature has adjourned for the 2017 year, taking action on a critical bill affecting child sexual abuse victims. New legislation sets time limits on psychological examinations or “psyche exams” on child sex abuse victims in civil lawsuits. Currently, there are no time limits. The law also mandates that a licensed therapist with experience in child abuse and trauma conduct the exam. Attorney Robert Allard and the Corsiglia, McMahon & Allard legal team, which represents child molestation victims, lobbied for the legislation after witnessing the revictimization of sexually abused children in civil cases by a defendant’s paid expert. As an example, Mr. Allard provided details of a psychological examination that crossed the line and re-traumatized children. The civil lawsuit was against a San Jose daycare center. Three…

Charter School Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Settles for $1.2 Million

As students head back to school, the San Jose law firm of Corsiglia, McMahon & Allard is warning parents about the dangers of sexual abuse by educators. The firm is announcing a $1.2 million settlement in a sexual abuse lawsuit filed against a charter school.

Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Filed Against New Haven Unified School District

District accused of ignoring numerous sexual abuse “red flags,” which led to the molestation of several elementary school children by teacher Michael Howey. As a consequence of this District’s failure to implement basic training concerning the identification of these red flags and what to do when they are observed, at least 10 children will now have to suffer debilitating mental disorders due to their being forced to engage in sex acts with their trusted teacher.

Ronald Guinto Boy Scouts Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

Sexual abuse lawsuit names the Boys Scouts of America’s local representative, the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council [“SVMBC”], and Willow Glen-based Lincoln Glen Church. In representing a young sexual abuse victim, our lawsuit alleges that the named entities failed to properly supervise convicted child molester Ronald Guinto. As a result, a then ten-year-old Boy Scout was sexually abused. The lawsuit claims that in March of 2008, Ronald Guinto contacted the SVMBC and asked if he could volunteer with a Boy Scout pack near his San Jose home. Despite no history with the Boy Scouts nor any wilderness training experience, Guinto was able to obtain a volunteer position with a group of 9 to 11-year-old boys. Within a few months, Guinto achieved a leadership position as Webelos Den…

Morgan Hill Unified School District Will Pay $8.25 Million to Child Molestation Victims

As part of the $8.25 million settlement with three child sex abuse victims, the Morgan Hill Unified School District is also moving forward in implementing and supporting programs aimed at preventing the sexual abuse of students. The law firm of Corsiglia, McMahon & Allard announced that the Morgan Hill Unified School District agreed to pay $8.25 million to three then-elementary school students sexually abused by former teacher John Loyd. At the same time, complying with the wishes of the victims’ parents, the district is also moving forward to carry out child sexual abuse prevention programs. The agreement was reached as jury selection was about to start in the sexual abuse lawsuit (case #115CV285795 – Santa Clara County Superior Court) against the school district. The three children were…

Megan’s Law Loopholes

According to California’s Sex Offender Management Board, the number of sex offenders on the Megan’s Law website is nearly 17,000 less than than the number of registered sex offenders in the state. That’s because Megan’s Law exempts some registered sex offenders, including those convicted of sexual battery or a misdemeanor charge of annoying or molesting a child. The law also provides for exclusions of other sex offenses as long as they don’t involve “oral copulation or penetration.” In the case of Robert Adams, he pleaded no contest to charges that he allegedly molested six girls. But by entering into a plea agreement, the felony charges were dropped in exchange for Adams pleading no contest to six counts of misdemeanor child molestation. Part of Adams’ plea agreement…

US Sports Academy Urged to Rescind Awards to Child Sex Abuse Enablers Chuck Wielgus and Joe Paterno

Childhood sex abuse attorney Robert Allard is urging the United States Sports Academy to rescind its awards to sex abuse enablers and to become a leader in the fight against coaches who sexually abuse their athletes. In late 2016, the Academy honored the head of USA Swimming, Chuck Wielgus, and to date has yet to rescind the awards to former Penn St. coach Joe Paterno. “Both Wielgus and Paterno have a demonstrated history of protecting predator coaches,” said Allard, “and at the same time ignoring the cries for help from those being abused.” The Academy claims to have started in 1972 as a result of the need for a national school of sport. It provides students with a Sports Diploma in Sports Management or Sports…

Prosecution Time Limits for Sex Abuse Crimes Abolished

There will be no more hiding behind arbitrary time limits, also known as statutes of limitations, for predators who commit sex abuse crimes in California. The Governor signed SB 813, which amends the penal code so that the following sex abuse crimes have no time limits to prosecute: rape; spousal rape; forcible sodomy; molestation of a child under the age of 14 involving “substantial sexual conduct;” molestation of a child under the age of 14 by use of force, violence, duress, menace, or fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury on the victim or another person; continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14; forcible oral copulation; and forcible sexual penetration The new law will go into effect on January 1, 2017. It will apply to…

Jury Finds Former USA Swimming National Team Member’s Lawyer Committed Fraud

An Orange County, California jury awarded former Olympic swimming hopeful and USA Swimming National Team member Dagny Knutson $617,810 for the financial and emotional harm caused by her former attorney, Richard Foster. Knutson trusted Foster with her swimming career when she retained him in late 2010, but the aquatics insider instead defrauded Knutson. The Knutson legal team featured attorneys Robert Allard, Jonathan Little, Mark Boskovich and Laura Liccardo. “Dagny was used, abused, manipulated and betrayed by a powerful group of aquatic insiders,” said Allard. “This is full vindication for her. After what she has been through and what she has lost, she deserves it.” Knutson retained Foster to enforce a contractual agreement with former Olympic coach Mark Schubert and USA Swimming. She believed that Foster had…

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