SAN DIEGO JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER AND RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER SEXUAL ABUSE LAWSUITS

Fighting for Survivors Sexually Abused in San Diego Juvenile Detention Centers and Youth Residential Treatment Centers

Levy Konigsberg is investigating claims of alleged sexual and physical abuse by staff members against minors in San Diego juvenile detention facilities.

San Diego juvenile detention centers, including Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility (KMJDF), East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility (EMJDF), Camp Barrett, Girls Rehabilitation Facility, and Juvenile Ranch Facility (Rancho del Campo and Rancho del Rayo) have faced numerous allegations of sexual abuse perpetrated against children in these facilities over the course of decades. 

Other youth-serving facilities owned and run by San Diego County, including the A.B. and Jessie Polinsky Children’s Center, have also been the subject of widespread allegations of sexual abuse against children in their care.

If you or someone you love has been abused in a San Diego juvenile detention facility or San Diego residential treatment facility, you don’t have to go through this alone. Reach out to us today to take the first step toward justice and holding those responsible accountable.

History of Child Sexual Abuse in San Diego Juvenile Detention Centers and Residential Treatment Centers

Numerous survivors have come forward in recent years alleging widespread sexual abuse perpetrated against children within San Diego juvenile detention centers and residential treatment centers and a culture of silence within the facilities.

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

• In February 2025, over two dozen individuals filed lawsuits against San Diego County, alleging they were sexually abused while minors incarcerated in San Diego juvenile detention centers.  Plaintiffs in these lawsuits allege they were as young as 11 when they were sexually abused by probation officers while in the custody of San Diego County. The lawsuits allege the sexual abuse spanned from 1970 to 2022 and that the abuse occurred almost daily. According to the lawsuits, the sexual abuse often occurred in bathrooms, showers or cells, and if the child did not accept the sexual abuse or reported it, the officers threatened the child with physical harm, death or longer confinement in the facility. The lawsuits allege sexual abuse occurred in San Diego juvenile detention facilities including Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility, East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility, Rancho del Campo, Camp Barrett and Girls Rehabilitation Facility.

East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility

• In May 2025, the California Attorney General announced an investigation into the alleged mistreatment of youth at the East Mesa Juvenile Detention Center in San Diego County.

In February 2026, a former facility social worker alleged that a guard smuggled drugs into the facility inside a burrito and distributed them to minors. Some of the youth allegedly required medical treatment after experiencing adverse reactions.

Staff members were accused of allegedly engaging in inappropriate relationships with minors. They also allegedly used excessive force against minors, including beating youth and using pepper spray while they were handcuffed or lying on the floor. 

• In February 2011, reports alleged that Carlen Sexton, a female supervising county probation officer, repeatedly molested a 17-year-old male detainee at the East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility.

Camp Barrett

• In November 2024, a man filed suit alleging he was sexually abused in 2012 when he was 16 years old while incarcerated at Camp Barrett, a county-run juvenile detention center in Alpine. According to the lawsuit, during his first stay in the facility, a female probation officer sexually assaulted him on four occasions. She allegedly kissed him, groped him, performed oral sex on him, and forced him to perform sexual acts.  Later that year, when he was still 16, he returned to Camp Barrett for another four-month stay. This time, a male probation officer allegedly sexually assaulted him, forcing him to perform oral sex and threatening to delay his release date if he refused.

• In November 2022, a former resident alleged a female guard raped him at Camp Barrett in 2005. 

Juvenile Ranch Facility (Rancho del Campo and Rancho del Rayo)

• In May 2023, six men filed suit alleging they were sexually assaulted by guards while in San Diego juvenile detention facilities, including Rancho del Campo. In the lawsuit, one former resident of Rancho del Campo alleged a guard sexually assaulted him in the facility when he was 14 years old. The former resident alleged other guards watched the door while the guard sexually assaulted him.

A.B. and Jessie Polinsky Children’s Center

• In October 2024, over 100 individuals filed lawsuits against San Diego County, alleging they were sexually abused as children in the A.B. and Jessie Polinsky Children’s Center. The lawsuits allege children between the ages of 2 to 17 years old were sexually abused in the facility, spanning from the early 1990s to 2023.  Allegations of abuse include groping, molestation and repeated sexual assaults.  Some victims allege they were threatened with more severe abuse or physical harm if they reported the abuse or refused to comply.

• In April 2025, 50 individuals filed lawsuits alleging that they were sexually abused, drugged and intimidated by staff members at the A.B. and Jessie Polinsky Children’s Center when they were children in the mid 1990s through the 2000s.

Phoenix House Academy of San Diego

• In September 2015, the Phoenix House Academy in Descanso in San Diego County was shut down after officials raised concerns about understaffing, inaccurate reporting of incidents and injuries, and a series of events that allegedly endangered the safety and welfare of youth.

In January 2015, five male residents were involved in a physical altercation that resulted in one resident suffering a broken hand. 

In April 2014, a female staff counselor allegedly engaged in sexual acts with a male resident on at least two occasions and provided the youth with methamphetamines.

In October 2013, a male staff member allegedly left pornographic materials to youths.

LK is Investigating Sexual Abuse Claims From San Diego Juvenile Detention Facilities and San Diego Youth Residential Treatment Facilities

Our attorneys at Levy Konigsberg are now investigating cases of sexual abuse that occurred at any juvenile detention facility or youth residential treatment center in San Diego. 

You may have a potential claim if you were sexually abused while housed in these or any other juvenile detention or treatment centers:

• Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility (KMJDF)
• East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility (EMJDF)
• Girls Rehabilitation Facility
• Camp Barrett
• Juvenile Ranch Facility (Rancho del Campo and Rancho del Rayo)
• A.B. and Jessie Polinsky Children’s Center
• Phoenix House Academy of San Diego

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

California Sexual Abuse Attorneys

Sexual abuse lawsuits, like other claims brought by plaintiffs who seek damages for injuries, are subject to a legal deadline known as the statute of limitations. When the statute of limitations expires, victims are not able to file claims or recover compensation.

Fortunately, California has recognized that the statute of limitations can act as a barrier to justice for sexual abuse survivors, which research has shown can take years or decades to come to terms with their abuse and the damages it had caused. As such, California passed the Child Victims Act in 2019 to extend the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse lawsuits.

Under the CA Child Victims Act

• Survivors sexually abused as minors can file claims until age 40 (22 years after turning 18)

Levy Konigsberg is actively investigating sexual abuse in San Diego youth residential facility or juvenile detention centers. 

Determining the statute of limitations that applies to your case against California youth residential facility or juvenile detention center can be challenging, which is why it is best to bring your matter to the attention of an experienced lawyer.

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.