Warren E. Thornton Youth Center Lawsuit
Located in Sacramento County, California, the WET Center was repurposed from a juvenile detention facility to an unlicensed foster care facility in 2022. The county housed dozens of foster youth there for almost a year before the state ordered them to be transferred to licensed facilities. During that time, children ages 13 to 17 placed in state custody due to parental abuse or neglect were sent to live in a facility designed for juvenile offenders.
More than a dozen survivors who endured this treatment have come forward since 2023 to sue Sacramento County for alleged sexual abuse, including human trafficking, that occurred at the WET Center and other temporary foster care residential facilities. The lawsuits allege that the county failed to adequately protect the children in its care.
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
Survivor Advocate
- The Warren E. Thornton Youth Center, or WET Center, was a juvenile detention facility in Sacramento, California, until 2009. The county converted it to an unlicensed foster care residential facility in 2022.
- The state ordered Sacramento County to stop using the WET Center as a foster care facility in 2023, but not before countless youth were exposed to prison-like conditions and alleged sexual abuse.
- If you or a loved one experienced sexual abuse at the WET Center or another California foster care facility, Helping Survivors is here to help you understand your legal rights and options.
What Is the Warren E. Thornton Youth Center?
The Warren E. Thornton Youth Center opened in 1971 as the Sacramento County Girls School for delinquent girls and closed in 2009 due to funding reductions. In 2023, it was discovered that Sacramento County had been housing foster youth at the WET Center without a license for nearly a year. The California Department of Social Services denied the county’s application to license the WET Center in May 2023 and ordered all youth to be transitioned out of the center within one month.
Media reports stated that the WET Center was a prison-like setting with cells, metal beds, and unsafe conditions for foster youth. Children who were housed there were vulnerable and had come from disrupted placements and a shortage of therapeutic services in the area.
Unfortunately, Sacramento County has a history of operating unlicensed foster youth placements dating back to 2016. Following a 2023 lawsuit, county officials were put under five years of court supervision to address the systemic failures that prompted illegal placements.
Sexual Abuse Allegations at Warren E. Thornton
In July 2025, 17 former foster youths sued Sacramento County, alleging that various facility employees failed to prevent drinking, drug use, violence, underage sex, and sex trafficking. Sixteen of the plaintiffs resided at the WET Center and other unlicensed foster care placements at various points between 2020 and 2022. The suit claims that county employees sexually assaulted several of the plaintiffs. It also alleges that eight female youths were routinely trafficked for sex.
An earlier lawsuit filed by the mother of a 13-year-old boy housed at the center also alleged that the child had been subjected to statutory rape and given illicit drugs.
Following an extensive seven-month investigation, a 2024 grand jury report found that violence, drugs, alcohol, and sex trafficking had occurred at the WET Center when it was being used to house foster youths.
Legal Rights & Options for Foster Youth
As a foster care sexual abuse survivor, you have various legal rights and options for holding the responsible parties accountable. The California Office of the Foster Care Ombudsperson oversees and enforces the Foster Youth Bill of Rights, which was enacted in 2001 and later updated in 2020. The OFCO also handles complaints regarding the treatment of youths in foster care.
Another oversight agency designed to protect foster youth is the Bureau of Children’s Justice. The agency protects children’s rights and focuses on enforcement in several areas, including California’s foster care, adoption, and juvenile justice systems.
Reporting Abuse
Foster care sexual abuse survivors have the right to report abuse to the authorities, file a civil lawsuit, and access legal and mental health support services. Sexual abuse victims can file reports with the California Bureau of Children’s Justice, even if the abuse occurred years ago. Abuse survivors also have the option to file a complaint with the Community Care Licensing Division of the State Department of Social Services, which licenses and oversees foster homes and residential facilities statewide.
Filing a Civil Lawsuit
Survivors of sexual abuse at the Warren E. Thornton Youth Center may be able to file a civil sexual abuse lawsuit to hold the responsible parties accountable and recover compensation. 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 has a deadline for 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 discovery of 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.
How a Sexual Abuse Lawyer Can Help
The process of filing a civil lawsuit can be complex—especially in cases of foster care sexual abuse. This makes it vital to have experienced legal representation. A lawyer specializing in sexual abuse will understand how to handle the legal challenges specific to these types of cases and will be prepared to advocate for you in court, protecting your rights and privacy as much as possible.
Speak With an Experienced Sexual Abuse Attorney
Every childhood sexual abuse survivor’s experience is unique, and what you choose to do after experiencing sexual violence is ultimately your choice. There is no right or wrong answer after experiencing harm. If you do decide to pursue legal action against the parties responsible for what happened to you, Helping Survivors can help.
Our organization works to help heal, educate, and empower people impacted by sexual abuse by informing them of their rights and options and connecting them with our legal partners.
We collaborate with experienced sexual abuse lawyers who can file civil lawsuits against the individuals, institutions, and organizations that perpetrated and enabled the abuse you endured. The firms in our network provide trauma-informed legal support, ensuring confidentiality. They charge no upfront fees, and you pay nothing unless they win your case.
If you feel ready to come forward, contact Helping Survivors to get connected.
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