Los Angeles County is at the center of one of the most extensive government-run institutional child sexual abuse scandals in U.S. history, with thousands of allegations tied to county-operated juvenile halls, youth detention centers, and foster care placements.
For more than sixty years, children placed in these facilities reported being sexually abused by staff, probation officers, and contracted caregivers. Many of these reports were not properly investigated, and some survivors have alleged that known abusers were transferred rather than removed.
On April 29, 2025, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a $4 billion settlement to resolve nearly 6,800 claims of child sexual abuse tied to county-run juvenile and foster care programs. The settlement acknowledges decades of harm experienced by children who were under the custody and care of county institutions.