OREGON JUVENILE DETENTION OR RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FACILITIES SEXUAL ABUSE LAWSUITS

Fighting for Survivors Sexually Abused in Oregon Juvenile Detention or Residential Treatment Facilities

Youth in Oregon have suffered for decades in facilities that were intended to help them become better citizens. These residential facilities are places that were supposed to provide a safe place for troubled youth, and yet they were actually yet another place where these youth were victimized.

Finally, survivors are starting to come forward to talk about the experiences they had at these residential facilities. In Oregon and throughout the country, these survivors are standing up and letting their abusers know that what happened to them was not okay and will not be accepted any longer.

If you or someone you love was an inmate or resident in an Oregon juvenile detention or residential treatment facility and experienced sexual abuse, Levy Konigsberg can help you in your fight for justice. We can help you find out what your compensation options are, and get you everything you deserve.

Sexual Abuse at Oregon Juvenile Residential Facilities

The U.S. Department of Justice released a report of incidents of sexual abuse in juvenile detention centers back in 2010. That report, which evaluated facilities nationwide during the period from 2008 to 2009, found alarming results at three Oregon facilities. 

• Hillcrest Youth Correctional Facility – 8.9%
• MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility – 12.9%
• Rogue Valley Youth Correctional Facility – 11.9%

But that’s not all.

In 2013 a report was released by the US. DOJ, which looked at sexual abuse in juvenile detention centers throughout the nation in 2012. In that report it was determined that rates of sexual abuse at the three above-named facilities had remained the same or even increased. However, additional facilities were found to have high instances of sexual abuse as well.

• Eastern Oregon Youth Correctional Facility – 13.3%
• North Coast Youth Correctional Facility – 15.8%
• Oak Creek Youth Correctional Facility – 7.7%
• Tillamook Youth Correctional Facility – 11.6%

History of Sexual Abuse at Oregon Correctional Facilities

Examples of alleged abuse, and of conditions likely to lead to abuse, include the following:

MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility

• In August 2026, new court filings in Marion County Circuit Court alleged that the Oregon Youth Authority ignored and concealed reports of sexual abuse by two employees — Dr. Edward Gary Edwards (staff physician at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility for nearly 40 years), and Gerald “Jerry” Vinson, a longtime counselor and group life coordinator.

The filings alleged that OYA received repeated warnings about both men across decades yet kept both employed until their retirements in the 2010s.

According to the filings, OYA conducted an internal review of Edwards in 2017 that substantiated complaints against him, but did not report the findings to law enforcement, and instead allowed him to retire quietly in 2018.

The filings also alleged that OYA destroyed decades of records documenting abuse complaints, including files that would have identified additional victims.

More than 500 survivors have now come forward across the litigation against OYA, with claims exceeding $500 million.

• In July 2025, twelve men filed suit alleging Edwards aka “Dr. Cold Fingers,” abused them at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility.   

Edwards was the former longtime chief medical officer of MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility.  

In March 2025, ten former youth residents at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility filed a $51 million lawsuit against the state, alleging they were sexually abused by Edwards.

Edwards allegedly routinely molested the boys with ungloved hands, earning the nickname “Dr. Cold Fingers” among residents.

The victims were allegedly abused between 2000 and 2008 when they were 12–16 years old.

They were allegedly given narcotics and other drugs, groped, touched, masturbated and penetrated on several occasions. 

One victim allegedly visited Edwards for a sore throat, but Edwards fondled his genitals with ungloved hands. 

The victims allegedly made reports of the alleged abuse by Edwards to MacLaren staff but were ignored.

• In April 2025, several individuals sued the Oregon Youth Authority for sexual abuse they experienced at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility.  According to the lawsuit, two group life coordinators at the facility groomed, sexually abused and provided nude photos to a 16-year-old resident of the facility while other supervisors and staff members were aware of the abuse.  These allegations came shortly after revelations that there was a backlog of thousands of complaints at the youth authority that were never investigated.

• Between 2021 and 2022, former therapist Emily Echtenkamp allegedly groomed and had multiple sexual encounters with a resident.

In December 2023, she was charged with five counts of first-degree custodial sexual misconduct, first-degree official misconduct and filing a false report.

In March 2025, she pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree custodial sexual misconduct, first-degree official misconduct and initiating a false report.

The victims further alleged the Oregon Youth Authority knew about the abuse but ignored them.

• In 2022, former staff Cherie MacDougall allegedly groomed and sexually abused a 15-year-old and a 21-year-old resident. 

• In 2021, former staff member Amira Andrade allegedly groomed and sexually abused a youth. 

• In October 2018, staff at the facility allegedly ignored a youth when he reported that he was sexually assaulted by other youth.

• In 1998, former staff member Frank Milligan allegedly sexually abused a 15-year-old.

Hillcrest Youth Correctional Facility

• In July 2025, three women who were teenagers between 1999 and 2008 filed a lawsuit alleging that former Hillcrest corrections officer Scott J. Scrabeck groped them, forced them to touch his genitals and masturbated while watching them shower while they were at the facility.  One of the women alleged the abuse occurred “dozens” of times and the two others reported multiple incidents of abuse, according to the suit.  The suit further alleges that Scrabeck’s abuse was an “open secret” in Hillcrest. Scrabeck reportedly worked at Hillcrest from 1998 until the detention center closed in 2017 and then worked at Oak Creek until he retired in 2023, according to the suit.

• Another suit filed at the same time alleges former Hillcrest staffer Robert L. Blacksmith abused a boy between 2001 and 2002 and that a supervisor quashed the boy’s report by threatening to withhold family visits.  That Plaintiff alleges that Blacksmith abused him six to eight times, starting when he was 15 when Blacksmith would escort him to an isolation room at Hillcrest.   Blacksmith allegedly “aggressively grabbed and groped,” the boy’s genitals, and would tell him, “you deserve this.” Blacksmith was reportedly fired in 2006 after he was caught misusing the state computer system to look for information about a boy he was trying to find and contact.  He was later reportedly indicted in Marion County on 10 counts of encouraging child sex abuse around the time of his firing. He fled the state but was found in California in 2007 and arrested on additional allegations of possessing child sexual abuse material. He reportedly pleaded guilty three years later to 10 counts of encouraging child sexual abuse and was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in prison. 

• In 1997, a former corrections officer with the Hillcrest Youth Correctional Facility allegedly raped and sexually abused two teen inmates of the facility. 

• In March 1998, the former corrections officer with the Hillcrest Youth Correctional Facility was arraigned on charges related to the alleged rape and sexual abuse of two teen girls who were inmates at the facility. 

• In August 2000, the former corrections officer with the Hillcrest Youth Correctional Facility pled no contest to charges of sexually abusing a total of three girls while working at the facility. 

Oak Creek Youth Correctional Facility

• In July 2025, a woman sued former Oak Creek group life coordinator Alex Blevins, alleging he sexually abused her 10 times between 2009 and 2011, starting when she was 16. The suit says she reported Blevins to Oregon State Police in 2011.  The suit further says that Blevins was fired from his job in 2014 after complaints by women staff about his sexually inappropriate comments and conduct.

• In September 2024, a lawsuit was filed alleging that a female inmate at Oak Creek was sexually abused by staff.

• In 2021, a lawsuit was filed alleging that former staff member Travis Craft groomed a female inmate, kissed her, exposed his penis, pushed her to her knees and forced her to perform oral sex on him. 

• In 2018, federal data revealed that sexual abuse rates at the facility was twice the national average—about 14.3% of youth at Oak Creek, compared to 7.1% nationwide. 

St. Mary’s Home for Boys

• In 1982-1986, a resident of St. Mary’s Home for Boys was allegedly molested by a counselor, Spencer Biddle Dick.

• In January 2016, a lawsuit was filed for a $5.1 million related to the alleged sexual abuse of a former resident of St. Mary’s Home for Boys by Spencer Biddle Dick. It seeks a total of $100,000 in economic damages and $5,000,000 in non-economic damages.

Eastern Oregon Academy

• August 2016: The Orgeon Department of Human Services launched an investigation into the hiring and training practices at Eastern Oregon Academy after accusations that workers did not supervise the inmates and further failed to report alleged sexual abuse. 

• August 10, 2016: The Oregon Youth Authority decided to remove residents that had been placed at the Eastern Oregon Academy pending investigation.

Trillium Family Services (aka Children’s Farm Home)

• In April 2020, a staff member was accused of improperly restraining a youth by pushing them to the ground and getting into a physical altercation. 

Other staff members allegedly did not intervene and failed to properly document the incident.

• In April 2020, a staff member pushed a youth off a table. 

Staff allegedly incorrectly documented the incident. 

• In June 2023, a staff member improperly restrained a young person by pushing them and grabbing their arm with excessive force.

Rimrock Trails Residential Treatment Program

• In 2021, the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) confirmed a sexual abuse allegation against a former Rimrock Trails staff member who was accused of having sexual contact with a resident over two decades ago.

• In August 2021, Rimrock Trails temporarily closed because of staffing shortages caused by the pandemic and workforce crisis.

An anonymous online review raised concerns about allegations of poor treatment of residents at the facility, including restricted communication, staff monitoring communal showers, and use of a closet as an isolation room.

Investigating Sexual Abuse at Oregon Juvenile Detention or Residential Treatment Facilities

Levy Konigsberg is actively investigating abuse allegations at Oregon juvenile detention or youth residential treatment facilities, including:

• MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility
• Hillcrest Youth Correctional Facility
• Oak Creek Youth Correctional Facility
• St. Mary’s Home for Boys
• Eastern Oregon Academy
• Trillium Family Services (aka Children’s Farm Home)
• Rimrock Trails Residential Treatment Program

If you or someone you know experienced abuse at these or similar institutions, contact our experienced attorneys today.

Do I Have a Case?

You may have grounds to file a civil legal action if:

• You were sexually abused by a guard, counselor, nurse, or other youth residential treatment or juvenile detention center staff member.
• The abuse occurred at any youth residential treatment or juvenile detention facility.

Levy Konigsberg represents survivors in civil lawsuits that aim to hold youth residential treatment facilities,  juvenile detention centers, private healthcare companies, and other facility operators accountable for their failures to stop abusive staff members and protect young residents.

As civil claims, these cases are separate from any criminal proceedings that may arise from abuse and focus instead on holding institutions liable for damages. This means you may still have a claim even if:

• Your abuser is no longer alive.
• Your abuser was never charged with or convicted of a crime.

Recoverable Damages in Sexual Abuse Claims

In addition to providing accountability and a sense of justice, civil sex abuse lawsuits allow survivors to recover financial compensation for their damages, which may include:

• Past medical and mental health expenses
• Future mental health expenses, including therapy, medications, etc.
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional anguish and psychological harm
• Lost income
• Other economic and non-economic damages

Oregon Sexual Abuse Attorneys

Under current law, survivors of childhood sexual abuse in Oregon have until their 40th birthday, or five years from the date they discover that their damages (which can include addiction, self-harm, and other mental health issues) are connected to their abuse, to file civil lawsuits.

We are committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society and seeking justice for survivors of sexual abuse in juvenile detention centers and youth residential treatment facilities. Our experienced team is dedicated to providing legal representation and support to survivors, and we are actively investigating allegations of abuse. We are working tirelessly to ensure that survivors have access to justice and that future generations of young people are safe from harm within these institutions.