Sacramento County Youth Detention Facility Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
Numerous sexual abuse allegations have surfaced at juvenile detention centers across California and in the Sacramento County area. If you are a survivor of sexual abuse at the Sacramento County Youth Detention Facilty, you have legal rights and options.
Have you experienced sexual assault or abuse?
Helping Survivors can connect you with an attorney if you may have a case. While we cannot report a crime on your behalf, your safety is important. Please contact your local authorities for further assistance.
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
Survivor Advocate
- The Sacramento County Youth Detention Facility, or YDF, is Sacramento County’s juvenile detention facility for youth offenders.
- Since the late 1990s, the YDF has faced numerous accusations, investigations, and lawsuits regarding alleged sexual abuse by staff at the facility. The county has settled several lawsuits related to this misconduct, including a class action.
- If you or a loved one experienced sexual abuse at the Sacramento County Youth Detention Facility, you may be eligible to file a civil lawsuit. Contact Helping Survivors to learn more about your legal rights and options.
The Sacramento County Youth Detention Facility, or YDF, is the county’s primary juvenile hall and the initial point of interaction for most youth entering the county’s juvenile justice system. Run by the Sacramento County Probation Department, it aims to provide a safe, humane, secure environment free from sexual misconduct.
Despite the probation department’s “zero-tolerance policy” for sexual abuse and assault, the YDF has a history of juvenile detention center sexual abuse allegations and lawsuits filed by survivors.
Sexual Abuse Allegations at the Sacramento County YDF
Sacramento County’s Youth Detention Facility has a history of sexual abuse allegations by former detainees in lawsuits filed as early as 2004 and as recently as June 2025. Additionally, at least one former YDF employee has faced criminal charges for inappropriate conduct with a minor.
June 2025
In June 2025, an anonymous victim filed a lawsuit against the County of Sacramento over alleged sexual abuse while in the county’s juvenile detention system. In 1996, when the victim was 11, Sacramento County employees at the detention center allegedly began harassing and abusing him, forcing him to commit sexual acts through manipulation, coercion, threats, intimidation, and more. Other employees allegedly failed to report the misconduct.
February 2025
A former YDF educator was arrested in a child predator sting and sentenced to 45 days in jail and two years of probation. Moises Hernandez Cordero Jr., 39, pleaded no contest in December to charges of contacting a minor for sexual purposes and attempting to possess child pornography. Cordero was employed at the YDF at the time of his arrest.
According to investigators, Cordero sent sexually explicit messages and arranged meetings with undercover agents, believing they were underage girls, and was “explicit in his plans” to have sex with a supposed 13-year-old girl.
March 2015
The county agreed to a $475,000 settlement to resolve claims of abuse by staff at the county’s juvenile detention facilities brought by nearly two dozen people who were in custody between 1998 and 2010.
July 2006
A class action was filed in 2004 against Sacramento County on behalf of people who were booked, assigned to a unit, and strip-searched at the Sacramento County juvenile facility between 1998 and 2004. In 2006, Sacramento County agreed to a $6.28 million settlement and revised its strip-search procedures. According to the lawsuit, about 29,000 juveniles were subjected to unlawful, suspicionless strip searches while detained at Sacramento juvenile facilities.
- Sexual Abuse Allegations at the Sacramento County YDF
- How Did Sexual Abuse Occur in Sacramento County Juvenile Detention Centers?
- Rights and Options for Survivors of Sacramento County Juvenile Detention Sex Abuse
- California Sexual Abuse Laws
- Compensation for Sacramento County Juvenile Detention Sex Abuse
- Contact Helping Survivors for Support and Legal Resources
How Did Sexual Abuse Occur in Sacramento County Juvenile Detention Centers?
Across California, multiple counties are facing similar accusations and hundreds of lawsuits from survivors alleging sexual abuse by staff in juvenile detention facilities. These lawsuits assert a statewide failure to protect vulnerable youth from sexual violence. In Sacramento County, more than a dozen survivors have come forward since 2023 to sue the county for alleged sexual abuse, including human trafficking, that occurred at multiple foster care residential facilities and juvenile detention centers.
Rights and Options for Survivors of Sacramento County Juvenile Detention Sex Abuse
Survivors of juvenile detention center sexual abuse at the Sacramento County Youth Detention Facility generally have the right to report abuse to the authorities, file a civil lawsuit, and access legal and mental health support services. While reporting sexual abuse to law enforcement may lead to criminal charges being filed against individual perpetrators, civil lawsuits allow victims to hold the institutions that enabled the abuse accountable, too.
Reporting the Abuse
While not required for a civil lawsuit, reporting sexual abuse to the authorities and state oversight agencies can be a helpful step in investigations and could trigger a criminal investigation and result in charges against the perpetrator.
Survivors can call Sacramento County’s 24-hour CPS child abuse hotline at 916-875-5437. In addition, they can report abuse to the Office of Youth and Community Restoration by calling 1-844-402-1880 or submitting a complaint online. The California Bureau of Children’s Justice also protects children’s rights in the California juvenile justice system and encourages detainees to submit complaints about violations online.
Filing a Civil Lawsuit
Some survivors of sexual abuse at the Sacramento County YDF may be eligible to file a civil sexual abuse lawsuit to hold the responsible parties accountable and recover compensation—even if the abuse occurred years ago.
Unlike criminal charges, civil lawsuits do not result in jail time for the perpetrator. Rather, they seek monetary compensation for the victim. It’s important to contact an experienced juvenile detention sex abuse attorney to better understand your legal rights and options after experiencing harm.
California Sexual Abuse Laws
California has a deadline for child sexual abuse lawsuits. In 2019, California Assembly Bill 218 significantly extended the statute of limitations for these cases and created a three-year “lookback window” that revived all civil claims stemming from childhood sexual abuse that were barred as of January 1, 2020.
After A.B. 218 took effect, survivors had until their 40th birthday or within five years of discovering their injury to file suit. In 2024, A.B. 452 eliminated the statute of limitations for any child sexual abuse actions arising on or after January 1, 2024.
Compensation for Sacramento County Juvenile Detention Sex Abuse
Through a successful child sexual abuse lawsuit, survivors may be able to recover damages for medical and therapy costs, pain, suffering, emotional distress, lost wages, and more. The court may also award punitive damages if it determines the defendants’ conduct was egregiously negligent or reckless. Every case is different, and there is no guaranteed amount of compensation for child sexual abuse lawsuits. An experienced sexual abuse attorney can provide an estimate for how much compensation you may be able to recover.
Contact Helping Survivors for Support and Legal Resources
If you or a loved one experienced sexual abuse while detained at the Sacramento County Youth Detention Facility or another California juvenile detention center, you have legal rights and options for healing and accountability.
Helping Survivors works to help heal, educate, and empower survivors of sexual assault and abuse by informing them of their rights, providing access to resources for support, and connecting them with our partner law firms. The lawyers at these firms have years of experience in sexual abuse cases, providing trauma-informed legal guidance and representation throughout the lawsuit process. The lawyers we work with represent survivors on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront costs and the firms only get paid if they recover compensation.
To learn more about your legal rights and options as a survivor of juvenile detention center sexual abuse in California, reach out to Helping Survivors today.
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