According to a childhood sexual abuse lawsuit filed in November 2019 by an anonymous plaintiff known as “Jane Doe,” several employees of The Children’s Aid Society (TCAS) used their careers and proximity to children to inflict abuse against the plaintiff for several years.

Jane Doe Vs. The Children’s Aid Society

According to plaintiff Jane Doe, TCAS employees Collete Robertson and Alberto Yard took naked photographs of Jane between 2006 and 2013 without her knowledge or consent. In addition to taking these photographs, Jane also claims that Collete and Alberto assaulted and battered her on multiple occasions during this time period.

According to the complaint, Collete was employed by TCAS as a home health aide under a Homemaker Service Program and took care of Jane from 2006 to 2013. Collete’s duties included the care and supervision of Jane Doe. As part of her duties as a home health aide and childcare provider, Collete frequently took physical custody of Jane. On many of these occasions, Jane claims that Collete took her to various apartments owned by either Collete or Alberto. At these apartments, the accused employees of TCAS allegedly took nude photographs of Jane, sexually exploited her, and coerced her into performing sexual acts.

In addition to the accusations against Collete and Alberto, Jane’s lawsuit also accuses TCAS of failing to ensure that Jane and other children under the care of TCAS employees were in good hands. According to Jane’s lawsuit, TCAS did not adequately live up to the company’s responsibility to appropriately screen or supervise employees and was negligent in the employment, hiring, and training of its employees.

The lawsuit claims that the company should have known about Collete and Alberto’s inappropriate behavior and that the company failed to protect Jane and other children by not investigating reports of indecent behavior by employees. Additionally, TCAS allegedly failed to run a background check on Collete or check in with any of her references.

According to a report published by The City, Jane was unaware that the nude photographs of her had been taken until she was informed by the authorities. Jane claims that as a result of discovering the extent of her childhood sexual abuse, she suffers from emotional distress, the violation of her rights, loss of dignity, and considerable pain and suffering.

Help for Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Child Victims Act in February 2019, providing victims of childhood sexual abuse with easier avenues towards justice. Under the new laws, victims whose cases had previously expired under New York’s statute of limitations may now be able to file their lawsuits under a look-back window that has opened.

Additionally, the statute of limitations has been expanded, allowing victims to file cases against their abusers until the age of 55. Around 500 cases have been filed in New York under the Child Victims Act so far, including Jane’s.

A New York City judge has decided that plaintiffs who file sexual abuse cases under the Child Victims Act may do so anonymously, as Jane did. People who suffered from childhood sexual abuse may wish to remain anonymous in order to avoid embarrassment, media coverage, and invasion of privacy. Those who file lawsuits under the Child Victims Act may be able to recover compensation for their pain and suffering.

Jane’s TCAS Sexual Abuse Lawsuit is Case No: 1:13-cr-00486-KAM, filed in the Supreme Court for the State of New York, County of Bronx.

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