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University of Michigan Doctor Sexually Abuse Case

It seems that far too often we hear about cases involving institutional sex abuse of children, whether it’s at small town pre-schools or even large universities like Ohio State, Penn State or Michigan State. The latest news of abuse on a college campus is at the University of Michigan, where a doctor who worked there in the 60’s and for many years after. Dr. Robert E. Anderson abused many male student athletes by giving unnecessary digital rectal exams, testicular exams, fondle body parts of the students, exposing himself and other sexually deviant activities. Even though many people reported this activity to the University of Michigan, they did not handle the situation properly. This is a common pattern from institutions who fear the financial consequences and bad press instead of handling the situation correctly in order to make sure these things don’t happen to other innocent victims. As a result, hundreds of boys were sexually abused by Anderson. The University of Michigan is responsible and will now pay the price. Estey & Bomberger is now representing men against the University of Michigan and have set up a website for victims. If you or a family member were a victim of Dr….

What Child Protection Policies Are in Place in California Public Schools?

Sending children to school should not cause parents to fear of whether they will return home safely or not. Unfortunately, new challenges such as cyberbullying, school shootings, and infringements upon the right to free speech can threaten students’ physical and psychological well-being during school hours. It is up to public schools in California to evaluate their safety levels, and to enforce child protection policies as needed to meet the current federal safety standards. Federal Laws: The Children First Act of 2015 The Children First Act turned parts of the Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children into law. It provides many important child protection measures now part of federal law. These include several requirements for organizations that provide services to children, including public schools. The requirements and obligations do not vary from establishment to establishment. Keep children safe from harm while providing services. Create a Child Safeguarding Statement, and provide a copy to the Child and Family Agency (Tusla). Report child protection concerns to the Child and Family Agency. Assist the Child and Family Agency in assessing child protection risk, if required. Cooperate with Tusla, if necessary, during an assessment by the Agency. The purpose of…

How Reliable Are Rape Testing Kits in Sexual Abuse Cases?

Evidence gathering is an important first step in any type of criminal case. Investigators may revisit a crime scene, record witness statements, conduct interviews, or gather evidence straight from victims in an effort to identify and/or build a case against a perpetrator. One of the most common tools in evidence collection in a sexual abuse case is the “rape kit.” A rape kit aims to collect DNA evidence from the victim that could incriminate the perpetrator. Many victims wonder, however: “Just how reliable are rape testing kits?” What’s in a Rape Test Kit? If you hear the term “rape kit,” investigators are referring to a box of supplies that contains the tools necessary to conduct a sexual assault forensic exam. Although the name may sound intimidating, the goal of the rape kit is to help sexual abuse victims. Rape kits contain instructions for examiners on how to collect and package specimens in a way that protects any DNA from the perpetrator. They can collect key DNA evidence that ultimately helps police find and arrest the offender. The typical rape kit like as described on Rainn.org contains the following equipment: Checklist and instructions for the examiner and victim Envelopes and bags for…

What If You Know Someone Was Sexually Assaulted on a College Campus?

Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments prohibits sexual discrimination in American education centers and universities. Title IX also applies to sexual assault and sexual harassment cases that take place in American schools and universities. Students should know their rights and schools’ obligations under Title IX, and they should also know what to do after a sexual assault or incident of sexual discrimination or harassment on a college campus. How Common is Sexual Assault on College Campuses? Women ages 18 to 24 in college are three times more likely to experience a sexual assault than other women, according to findings from the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), Women not attending college in the same age range are statistically four times as likely to encounter such a situation. RAINN reports that about 23% of females and 5% of males experience some form of sexual abuse during their undergraduate education. Male students are 78% more likely than male non-students to experience a rape or sexual assault. Unfortunately, statistics indicate that only about 20% of sexual assaults lead to police reports. There are many reasons behind this, such as victims preferring privacy or a belief that police won’t take their complaints…

BREAKING: Estey & Bomberger Secure Unprecedented Settlement for Abused Former Youth Soccer Player

The Sexual Assault lawyer team at Estey & Bomberger, LLP has just scored a massive victory for survivors of institutional abuse by securing a multi-million dollar settlement for an abused former youth soccer player. On Friday, August 17th, the U.S. Youth Soccer Association and their affiliate, the Cal North Soccer Association, agreed to pay a total of $8.2 million to the plaintiff, a 19-year-old survivor of sexual abuse. This is the largest settlement for a single person in a sexual abuse case in the history of the United States. You can read the local news coverage at The Mercury News here. The plaintiff alleges that both organizations failed to properly screen their staff, ultimately leading to repeated sexual abuse by a Sunnyvale coach that started in 2011 – when she was 13 years old. The coach, Emanuele Fabrizio, abused the plaintiff from May 2011 to March 2012, engaging in sexual misconduct and inappropriate activity multiple times. Fabrizio volunteered for a coaching position at the West Valley Youth Soccer League in 2010, declaring that he had never been convicted for a felony on his application. However, he failed to mention that in 2006, he was convicted of domestic violence and battery…

E&B has earned the largest sex abuse verdict in the State of California Once Again

Once again, Estey and Bomberger achieve the largest sex abuse verdict in the State of California! This is not the first time EB has won this award. In fact, E&B has earned the largest sex abuse verdict in the State of California for the last 5 out of 7 years. These totals were: $30 million $23 million $6.5 million $60 million $8 million No other firm even comes close when it comes to the highest per plaintiff verdicts and settlements in the State. You may have heard other law firm’s talk about “settlements” in their sex abuse cases but these amounts, on an individual, per plaintiff basis are FAR LESS than what E&B clients resolve their cases for. If you want a team of attorneys who are trauma informed and truly care about getting you the best result for your case then there is really only one choice: E&B. We understand the trauma a survivor has been through and the courage it takes to hold an institution accountable for failing to keep you safe. We take the fight to both the institution (and the perpetrator) and guide you through every step of the process. We will prepare you for every…

Lawyers for Victims of Ruben Jesse Flores of Desert Ridge Academy Middle School

Indio police have arrested Desert Sands Unified School District music teacher Ruben Jesse Flores after allegations that he had a sexual relationship with one of his students at Desert Ridge Academy Middle School in Indio. If your child was a victim of this teacher, please contact our office immediately. We offer a no charge and completely confidential consultation. If we accept your case, you will pay us nothing unless we win your case. Free Case Evaluation Request Form Additional Information According to police, a mother of one of the victims found inappropriate text messages between Flores and the female student. There have been several incidents of unlawful sexual contact with this one student but there may be more victims of this child predator. Our office has been representing victims of child sexual assault for years and has been able to get the highest per person settlements and verdicts in the country. If you call our office, you are in the right hands and we can help you today. We will do everything we can to hold all those responsible accountable for their actions and to pay for failing to protect the students in their care.

rialto unified high school teacher, arrested for sex with minor

Barry Todd Noden, of Calimesa, is the music teacher and school band leader (at Rialto Unified’s Eisenhower High School) recently arrested for having sex with his 16-year-old student over the period of March through May of 2016. Nodded is 57 — he turned himself in and has pleaded not guilty, despite the fact that the Rialto Police Department has been investigating Noden for nearly a year after having received a report that he was having sexual contact with a student both during and after school hours. Noden remains in jail at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, in place of $475,000. His next court appearance will be February 22, 2018. Rialto Unified spokesperson Syeda Jafri commented by email that Noden had been an employee since 2006, and has been on administrative leave for nearly a year now, since the Rialto Police has begun their investigation. Jafri claims that the district will continue to cooperate with authorities. Our concerns lie with the community, and we applaud the Rialto Police Department for it’s tenacious investigation. At this time, no additional victims have been identified or have come forward. In our decades of experience, this is an uncommon scenario, in our (significant)…

music teacher arrested in sunnyvale for sexually molesting student

Music teacher Henry Reed in Sunnyvale was arrested for sexually-inappropriate behavior with a minor, Friday January 12, 2017. According to police, Reed worked part-time as a musician’s assistant. The name of the school where the incidents took place is being withheld at this time, to protect the identity of the survivor — the school officials had called authorities earlier that day to report the unsolicited comments and requests. The officers received, in addition, evidence provided by the young survivor herself, that Reed had engaged in inappropriate behavior with her. Reed is 23 years old and lives in San Jose. According to the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, as of the date of his arrest, Reed has been at the Santa Clara County Jail on four felony and misdemeanor charges: two for sending indecent matter to a minor, two for annoying and molesting a minor. We join the community in giving our thanks and support to the Sunnyvale Police Department’s detectives investigating this case. While no other victims have been identified or have come forward at this time, in our (significant) experience, it is almost never the case that teachers and others in positions of authority over young boys and girls…

Ontario youth pastor, iglesia la familia de dios, arrested

Gerardo Custodio Jr, the long-time youth pastor at Ontario’s Iglesia La Familia de Dios, was arrested Sunday January 14, 2017. He is suspected of having sexually abused two minors between 2012 and 2015. 30-year-old Custodio has been a youth pastor there for many years; he had been away from the church while attending college, but had been back since 2011. According to police reports, both women reported their sexual abuse over this last weekend. One indicated that she was fourteen years old when Custodio abused her between 2012 and 2014 — several times on church property. The other noted that she was fifteen years old when Custodio abused her between 2014 and 2015. Gerardo Custodio Sr, the youth pastor’s father, is the senior pastor of Iglesia La Familia. We join the community in giving our thanks to the Ontario Police Department investigating this case. Custodio Jr is being held on bail of $3 million, and is scheduled to appear in Rancho Superior Court. It is almost never the case that youth pastors, and others in positions of authority at schools, churches and other institutions are virtually never found to have molested children “just once” before they are caught. Therefore, we…

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