Adults who were sexually abused in childhood are filing lawsuits against the Boy Scouts of America and other organizations that allegedly protected child predators in California.

California’s Assembly Bill 218, sometimes called the Child Victims Act, became law on Jan. 1, 2020. Because of this new law, the California statute of limitations to report sexual assault that occurred during childhood is now age 40 for the victim instead of age 26.

The bill additionally provides a lookback window of three years that allows anyone who could have been prohibited from seeking justice due to the old statute of limitations to come forward and file suit. The deadline for filing a lawsuit under the lessened restrictions of the lookback window is coming up at the end of the year: Dec. 31, 2022.

AB 218 allows damages to be trebled if the child was sexually assaulted because an organization covered up previous reports of other sexual assaults.

The Boy Scouts of America, the Catholic church, the Mormon church, and the YMCA are among the organizations that could face new lawsuits regarding old allegations during the three-year lookback window.

Adults who were sexually abused in childhood speak out

62-year-old David Green of Fresno told the Fresno Bee he won’t go camping because of what happened to him at Camp Chawanakee during Boy Scout campouts.

Decades ago, an assistant Boy Scouts leader allegedly sexually assaulted Green and several other boys entrusted in his care. Convicted child molester Alan Craig Dunlap allegedly sexually abused Green when he was age 10 through 13, according to Green’s lawsuit.

Green said his single mother was raising two boys on her own, which led her to believe having her sons join the Boy Scouts would provide the boys with a good male role model. Green said Dunlap would pick him and other boys up and take them home when he knew the mom wouldn’t be there. He started chasing and tickling them, but that progressed to spanking and fondling.

At one point, Green allegedly kicked Dunlap in the genitals with such force Dunlap fell to the floor. When Dunlap was arrested for child molestation not long after, Green’s mother frantically asked Green if Dunlap had ever touched him. Green said he lied and told her no because like many victims, he was overcome with guilt and shame.

At only 14 years old, Green said he used marijuana and alcohol to shut off his brain from the abuse.

He said adults who were sexually abused in childhood don’t know how the abuse will affect them the rest of their lives at the time the abuse is occurring. For 30 years, drugs were his go-to, and Green struggled through stints in jail and rehab. His daughter was adopted after he lost visitation rights, and he does not have a relationship with her to this day.

Green told the Fresno Bee, “With drugs and alcohol, you lose everything: friends, money, jobs, family — everything. Self-dignity, self-respect.”

Now retired and clean of drugs and alcohol for 14 years, Green is ready to hold the Boy Scouts accountable for allowing child molesters to care for children.

The Boy Scouts “perversion files” include one on Dunlap, which indicates Dunlap pleaded guilty to four counts of child molestation on Jan. 12, 1973 in Fresno. He was 24 years old at the time. Despite that guilty plea, Dunlap again worked with the Boy Scouts in the 1980s in Texas where he molested more young boys.

A 39-year-old Dunlap pled guilty of molesting a 9-year-old boy in 1987 and was sentenced to 12 years in prison in Texas. He had been a Scoutmaster and a Sunday School teacher there. It’s believed Dunlap is still alive, but his whereabouts are unknown.

Filing a California sexual abuse lawsuit

A growing number of people in California and across the country are coming forward with allegations of sexual abuse within youth organizations, workplaces, religious institutions, and more. Sexual abuse laws in several states, including California, have recently been expanded to allow survivors more time to pursue litigation.

If you or someone you love has suffered from sexual abuse in California, including abuse related to a religious institution or youth organization, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. Of course, filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by abuse, but it can at least help to hold those responsible for the abuse accountable for their actions and inactions.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, especially over something as serious and traumatic as abuse, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.