Los Angeles Preschool Teacher Facing Sexual Abuse Charges – Los Angeles Child Sex Abuse Lawyers
A Glendora woman who works as a preschool teacher has been arrested under allegations of a sexual relationship with a fifteen-year-old and possession of child pornography; she has been identified as Sherry Bernal, 33. She was arrested by the West Covina Police Department as part of an investigation with the Department of Homeland Security. In addition to facing charges for child pornography, she may also possibly face charges for arranging to meet a minor for the sex.
The investigation is ongoing, and the authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward. They believe that there may be more victims.
If you or a loved one were a victim of Sherry Bernal, you could have the right to sue. For more information about the legal options available to you, please contact the experts here at our law firm as soon as possible. Our lawyers here at the Downtown L.A. Law Group are ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to pursue a claim.
The Downtown L.A. Law Group is a personal injury law firm with decades of experience handling all sorts of claims including those involving sexual misconduct towards minors – or child sex abuse. If you are looking to explore your legal options and figure out your rights, contact us today. Our team is committed to fighting for the rights of our clients and ensuring that they get justice.
Contact us at your earliest convenience.
$54 Million
$1.93 Million
$600,000
$600,000
$500,000
$460,000
$420,000
$525,000
Child sex abuse is an umbrella term that covers any sort of sexual contact with a minor – as a minor can never consent to sexual contact. The child sex abuse can look very different from case to case. It could potentially include rape, attempted rape, fondling, groping, touching, kissing, forcing the minor to touch the attacker, any penetration with an object, making sexual comments, showing the minor sexually explicit photos or videos, etc.
Victims are likely to suffer significant harm. Although every case is different, victims, could be left suffering from some of the following:
- Sexually transmitted infections
- Unwanted pregnancies
- Injuries to genitals
- Injuries to reproductive organs
- Fractures
- Lacerations
- Increased risk of self-harm
- Increased risk of drug abuse problems
- Mental and emotional harm, like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic, anxiety, fear, etc.
Yes – you could have grounds to sue. Your right to sue will be based on the details of the abuse. For example, if the victim was a student and the abuser was a teacher or any school staff, then the school (and the district) could be held accountable. More specifically, the school/district could be liable for failing to keep their students safe. Whether this is because of negligent hiring (i.e., failing to perform background checks), negligent supervising (e.g., allowing staff to be alone with children), or other forms of negligence (like failing to properly train staff to identify and respond to sexual misconduct, failing to take any action when there are reports of sexual abuse, covering up occurrences of sexual abuse, etc.), the school and/or school district could be found liable.
Although you may certainly have grounds to sue for child sex abuse, you might be unsure of how to proceed. You might also be unsure of who you could sue. To ensure that you have all the information that you need to understand your right to sue and file your child sex abuse claim, contact us today.
Whether you are the parent of a child that was sexually abused or you are an adult that was sexually abused as a child, our lawyers can help you.
Can I Recover Compensation?Yes, you could recover compensation for your child sex abuse claim. Based on the details surrounding your claim, you could be entitled to receive compensation if your claim is successful. Some of the categories of compensation available for recovery could include the following:
- Medical costs
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Punitive damages
- Treble damages
- Legal fees
Here at our law firm, our lawyers are committed to getting our clients the maximum recovery available for their claims. Whether our lawyers have to negotiate a settlement or take claims to trial to reach a verdict, they always remain committed to securing the maximum payout possible.
How much are child sex abuse claims worth? In general, child sex abuse claims are high value cases because the harm associated with child sex abuse is extensive and long-lasting. These cases can be worth anywhere from $150,000 to $1.5 million and sometimes even more.
How long will it take to settle my case for child sex abuse? Because these cases tend to be complex, it can take up to two years to reach a settlement. In general, our lawyers aim to resolve these cases within six to eight months, but the more complex cases can take two years (and sometimes more) to settle.
Under California law, victims of child sex abuse have until the age of forty (or twenty-two years after turning eighteen) to file lawsuits. There is also a five-year discovery rule, which states that victims can sue within five years of discovering the abuse even if this is passed the age of forty. If you are the parent of the victim and would like to file a claim on their behalf, it is important that you seek legal assistance as soon as possible. Failing to file a claim within the appropriate timeline can result in losing the right to sue entirely. For further information about the time that you have to file your claim, contact us today.
The Downtown L.A. Law Group Can Help!Child sexual abuse is, unfortunately, far too common. Often, abusers hold jobs that give the easy access to children. The lawyers here at our law firm are committed to fighting for the rights of victims and their families and helping them get justice. If you are ready to speak with a lawyer about your rights, contact us today. We are committed to making the legal process as simple as possible; therefore, we offer free legal services. We offer free consultations and free second opinions, during which our lawyers will be available to answer all your questions and address all your concerns. Our child sex abuse lawyers will make sure that you have access to all the information that you need to begin or continue your lawsuit.
These are available through our Zero-Fee Guarantee, which ensures that our clients will never pay any upfront legal fees for our legal services. Additionally, our team works strictly on contingency, so our clients will not be responsible for paying anything unless their claims are successful.
Contact us today if you are ready to talk to a lawyer about your child sex abuse claim.
Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
Edison High School Wrestling Coach Sexual Abuse Lawyers
Kedren Community Health Center Sexual Abuse Lawyers
Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Lawyer
Over $1 BILLION Recovered
for Our Clients
By submitting this form, you agree to receive telephone calls and text messages at anytime, which include hours outside of business hours (8:00 am PST – 9:00 pm PST). This is so that we may reach you as soon as possible in order to consult on your potential case.
Featured Lawyers
Steven Ross, Esq.
Edward Morgan, Esq.
Amy Gomez
Bonnie Madani, Esq.
Nina Sargsyan, Esq.
Jeffrey Bloeser, Esq.