A taxpayer funded Los Angeles youth facility meant to help troubled teens is now at the center of a disturbing sex abuse scandal after female staffers allegedly preyed on underage boys in their care, including one case that reportedly ended in pregnancy.
At least two boys younger than 16 were sexually abused earlier this year by women working at Rancho San Antonio, a Chatsworth group home that houses youths transitioning out of LA County juvenile halls, according to a civil claim filed this week.
One accused staffer allegedly carried on a months-long sexual relationship with a 15-year-old resident both inside the facility and later at the teen’s family home, attorney Jamal Tooson said Thursday.
The boy had been placed at Rancho San Antonio by his mother to receive mental health treatment, Tooson said.
During weekend home visits, the female employee allegedly “snuck into” the family’s residence while the teen’s mother was away and his 12-year-old sister was inside the home.
“He was violated by a system that was designed to protect him,” Tooson said.
The explosive legal filing claims the misconduct was not isolated, describing “a broader pattern of inappropriate and abusive relationships between staff and minors at Rancho San Antonio.”
“Other instances of egregious misconduct at the facility include a staff member becoming pregnant by a minor juvenile while in Rancho San Antonio’s care,” the claim states.
The accused women were in their late 20s or early 30s, while both alleged victims were under 16, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The Los Angeles Police Department launched a criminal investigation after authorities were alerted to the claims on May 4.
Rancho San Antonio has operated under contract with the LA County Probation Department since 2008 to house youths leaving juvenile detention, but the facility is now accused of allowing predators access to vulnerable children in its care.
Following the allegations, the probation department stopped all youth transfers to the facility.
“The individuals connected to the allegations were contractors, not Probation Department employees, and are no longer employed at the facility,” probation spokeswoman Vicky Waters told the LA Times. “The Department is and will continue to fully cooperate with an ongoing external law enforcement investigation.”
The second alleged victim is not represented by Tooson, who declined to explain how he learned about the reported pregnancy involving a staff member and a minor.
The Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office said it is reviewing “allegations of serious sexual abuses of our clients.”
“These allegations, if true, reflect serious and ongoing systemic failures in safeguarding youth under the Probation Department’s care and underscore the urgent need for change to ensure that youth are not placed at continued risk,” the office said.
The claim targets both the LA County Probation Department and the LA County Department of Child and Family Services.