Child Victims of Sexual Abuse Lawyers in Las Vegas

Most parents hope to raise their children in a safe environment where no harm befalls them. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always work out how they’d hoped. Child sexual abuse is an ongoing problem in America, and sexually abused children are typically stuck dealing with the aftermath for the rest of their lives. If your child or a young person you care for has been victimized in such a way, it may be difficult to know how to proceed. There are certainly criminal penalties for such acts, but this will not undo the trauma a youngster faces after being assaulted. A child victims of sexual abuse lawyer in Las Vegas may be able to help.

At High Stakes Injury Law, our team of legal professionals has spent four decades working for the people of Clark County. Many of the cases we handle deal with car accidents and similar personal injury issues, but cases involving the sexual abuse of children are the most heartbreaking we encounter. We know that what you’re going through may seem overwhelming, and that’s why we’ll advocate tirelessly on behalf of you and your child. We can help you identify useful resources that can assist your loved one on the path to recovery. And even if the criminal courts fail you, our child sexual abuse lawyers will keep fighting.

Call (702) 707-5934 or fill out an online form today to get started.

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Table of Contents

• Who Are Common Defendants in Sexual Abuse Cases Involving Children?
• Who Is At Fault for Sexual Assault and Abuse of Children?
• Can You File a Child Sexual Abuse Lawsuit if the Abuser Is Found Not Guilty?
• Has Our Law Firm Handled Child Sexual Abuse Lawsuits?
• Are There Different Types of Child Sexual Abuse?
• Contact a Child Victims of Sexual Abuse Lawyer in Las Vegas Today

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Who Are Common Defendants in Sexual Abuse Cases Involving Children?

Once someone becomes a parent, they typically do everything in their power to safeguard their child. In many instances, this means being protective around them and keeping strangers at bay. In reality, most victims of child sexual abuse are assaulted by people they know. Only 10% of childhood sexual abuse cases involve illegal acts committed by a stranger. Unfortunately, most cases involve a trusted relative or authority figure. This makes these cases all the more tragic — because they’re more than just assaults. In essence, they remove our ability to trust others.

The following list of common defendants in child sexual abuse cases shows how close to home these offenders often are:

• Relatives
• Teachers
• Coaches
• Priests
• Boy Scout leaders
• Neighbors
• Babysitters
• Camp counselors

The age of a child can have a significant effect on who commits sexual acts against them. For instance, family members are the offenders in 50% of child sex abuse cases involving children under six years old. This number is only 30% when looking at childhood sexual abuse victims as a whole. However, the identity of the perpetrator matters less than holding them accountable. Yes, it’s extremely disheartening when someone you trust commits such an act. By filing a civil lawsuit in addition to seeking criminal charges, though, you can ensure that this act doesn’t get swept under the rug. Schedule a free case review with our Las Vegas child victims of sexual abuse attorneys today.

Who Is At Fault for Sexual Assault and Abuse of Children?

When you go through the civil courts to obtain justice for your child, you may think it’s clear who’s at fault for what has happened. After all, most child sexual abuse cases involve a single perpetrator. However, it’s important to realize that they may not be the only parties responsible for what your child has endured. In many instances, such abuse is only able to occur due to the negligence of other parties. These parties may have committed no criminal act and had no clue that abuse was occurring, but this doesn’t mean they’re not culpable in what happened.

Here are just a few examples of when entities other than the perpetrator of child sexual abuse may be liable for what happened:

• School districts often have to pay damages when an employee sexually abuses a child
• Religious organizations may be found liable if a religious leader commits abuse
• Hospitals and health systems could be held accountable for assaults by physicians
• The YMCA, Boy Scouts, and similar organizations can face liability if coaches or staff abuse children

At High Stakes Injury Law, we’ve spent years serving as Las Vegas child sexual abuse lawyers. Even if it seems clear who’s to blame for what your youngster has endured, liability in these cases is often complex and far-reaching. Identifying all potential at-fault parties may seem like a complicated endeavor, but that’s why we’re here to help. During your initial free case review, we’ll discuss what happened and who may be to blame. Civil claims can uncover facts that may otherwise go unnoticed. You can rely on our legal team to conduct a thorough investigation to identify those responsible for the tragedy you and your child are enduring.

Contact us today to learn more.

Can You File a Child Sexual Abuse Lawsuit if the Abuser Is Found Not Guilty?

Child sexual abuse is certainly a criminal matter. Sexual predators are dangerous people, and if the justice system does not hold them accountable in a criminal case, there’s little to stop them from reoffending. Even worse, a lack of accountability on this front may result in other parents unknowingly sending their children into dangerous situations. Sadly, criminal prosecution often fails in this regard. The majority of child sexual abuse cases never even result in charges against the offender. And when they do, there’s no guarantee that a conviction will be reached. This often leaves families feeling unsure of how to move forward and let down by the system.

Fortunately, the lack of a criminal conviction does not mean you can’t file a child sexual abuse lawsuit. Cases are different in criminal and civil courts. While a jury in a criminal case may believe an offender committed sexual abuse against a child, they might also believe there’s not enough evidence to convict. The evidentiary burden in civil cases is far lower. This means it’s possible to hold a child sexual abuse offender financially responsible — along with any organization or individual that allowed such acts to occur. A “not guilty” verdict does not mean that someone is innocent, and it doesn’t mean you’re out of legal options.

Even if you think the system has failed your family, child victims of sexual abuse attorneys in Las Vegas may be able to help. Contact High Stakes Injury Law today for a free consultation that will help you better understand your options.

Has Our Law Firm Handled Child Sexual Abuse Lawsuits?

Even though a civil case for child sexual abuse has a lower threshold of evidence than a criminal case, it doesn’t mean that the process will be a simple one. Any individual accused of such acts will no doubt fight back. No perpetrators of sexual violence or other abuse want to be exposed to the light. And if another party faces liability in the case — such as religious institutions or academic organizations — you can expect that they won’t be okay with negative publicity. As such, you need experienced sexual abuse attorneys on your side. You want more than just experience, though. You want a proven record of success.

Here are just a few of the cases we’ve handled at High Stakes Injury Law:

• Spousal responsibility: One of our child sex abuse cases involved an adult male neighbor babysitting a youngster. The babysitter’s wife knew that her husband had previously committed abuse against a child, but she did nothing to prevent him from acting as a babysitter. The husband eventually committed sexual abuse against the child. The homeowner’s insurance company paid out their maximum policy limit after we filed a claim against the wife related to her negligently allowing sexual molestation to occur.
• Parental responsibility: We’ve also handled a case where a man knew his minor son had been involved in sexual abuse in the past. Even with this knowledge, he allowed a relative’s children to sleep in the same room as his son — with zero supervision and the bedroom door closed. After his son sexually abused his relative’s child, we brought a claim against him for allowing a situation where abuse was likely.
• Institutional responsibility: A particularly tragic case handled by High Stakes Injury Law involved a mentally handicapped child who was living in a group home. Another juvenile in the facility left his room in the middle of the night and committed child sexual abuse against the disabled youngster. We brought a claim against the group home due to a lack of nighttime supervision. The facility settled the case for a confidential amount.

Our law firm strives to protect victims in the only way we can. We can’t reverse what has already been done, but we will strive to ensure you have the resources to care for your child moving forward. Adult survivors of child sexual abuse often encounter difficulties in life many of us would never expect. With the right resources available to them, however, it’s possible to live a productive and happy life. Child abuse has real and often long-term consequences, but our law firm is ready to help you mitigate these issues and provide every tool needed to take back your and your child’s lives.

Are There Different Types of Child Sexual Abuse?

Our Las Vegas child sexual abuse lawyers have seen far too many cases of this nature. During that time, however, we learned a few things. Most importantly, sexual abuse doesn’t always look like what you’d expect. Child sex abuse victims often face psychological pressure to act in certain ways. They may think they’re doing something normal, and many sexual abuse survivors do not realize until much later that they’ve been victimized. This is why it’s so important to recognize the varying types of abuse that children may endure.

These include:

• Sexual acts between minors and adults. Also, sexual acts involving two minors if one exerts some form of power over the other.
• Persuading, coercing, or forcing a child to take part in any form of sexual activity.
• Non-contact acts. These include voyeurism, exposure to pornographic material, sexual communications, and more.

Any of these acts can have lasting psychological effects. If your child has been victimized, you may be confused about how to move forward. You might not even know whether a criminal act has occurred or if a child sexual abuse lawsuit is appropriate. Fortunately, you don’t need to know all this information. That’s what we’re here for. Nevada law has an extremely long statute of limitations for pursuing justice in civil court for childhood victims of sexual abuse, but this doesn’t mean you should drag your feet. It’s understandable that you want to give your child time to heal, but recovering compensation becomes more difficult as time passes.

Reach out to our child victims of sexual abuse lawyers in Las Vegas to learn more about your rights under the law. Waiting only benefits the abuser.

Contact a Child Victims of Sexual Abuse Lawyer in Las Vegas Today

Childhood sexual abuse suffered at the hands of a relative, acquaintance, authority figure, or stranger can have lifelong effects. Just because abuse ends doesn’t mean that the consequences of such actions go away. Many victims deal with depression, anxiety, and distrust of others and often require years of ongoing therapy. Some are even unable to engage in any activity that might involve physical contact with others. This can make developing relationships a difficult task throughout a person’s life. There’s no way to reverse what has already been done. However, it is possible to hold perpetrators of sexual abuse responsible for their actions.

At High Stakes Injury Law, we have a long track record of fighting for child sexual abuse victims. It doesn’t matter who perpetrated such acts or who allowed them to take place — it’s our job to hold all liable parties accountable. There’s no difference in whether criminal cases are pending, ongoing, or complete; our legal team is ready to review your case and help you decide how to move forward.

Contact us today by calling (702) 707-5934 to schedule a free consultation. Our child victims of sexual abuse lawyers in Las Vegas know this feels like an impossible path to navigate, but we’re here to help you through the process and advocate for your child.