Content warning: This article contains references to abuse and the molestation of children, which some might find distressing. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673 (HOPE) or visit RAINN.org.

Nearly 100 people are alleging in a federal lawsuit that they were physically or sexually assaulted while in juvenile detention and correctional facilities operated in Nevada over the last quarter century.

The more than 200-page federal lawsuit, filed in April and naming various officials in state agencies and counties, includes 96 accounts of sexual assaults of minors by correctional staff in vivid and excruciating detail, including instances of molestation, rape, masturbation and penetration. The complaint says the abuse was "not a matter of isolated misconduct" but rather "systemic failure."

It described how adults working in and running the facilities kept the abuse under wraps, such as bribing child victims with food or privileges in exchange for sexual acts, threatening longer sentences or punishment if a child reported the abuse and telling victims that no one would believe them if they reported violations. 

"These acts were part of a pattern or practice of abuse that occurred with impunity due to lack of oversight, its ineffective grievance system, and its culture of intimidation," the lawsuit claims. "The Defendant State officials, sued in their official capacities, failure to act was not merely negligent — it was intentional and calculated."

Elisa Cafferata, executive director of the Children's Advocacy Alliance, said the state keeps failing its "moral obligation" to care for children in its custody — noting the settlement reached last year with the Department of Justice over the chronic institutionalization of children with behavioral health issues. 

"These are not isolated incidents," she said. "They are a pattern. Nevada chronically underinvests in children and waits to be sued before it changes course … Waiting to be sued returns the worst outcomes for everyone. Nevada has to do better. All of us are depending on it."

The lawsuit calls for a jury trial and has been served to defendants in phases, naming state officials within the Nevada Department of Human Services and Clark County; both entities declined to comment, citing pending litigation. Representatives from Douglas County, whose employees were also named, did not respond to emailed requests for comment.

It comes on the heels of similar recent lawsuits alleging abuse in juvenile detention centers in at least 13 other states. 

In April 2025, Los Angeles County reached a $4 billion agreement to settle more than 6,800 sexual abuse claims dating back to 1959, or nearly $589,000 per person. The county has also largely moved away from using congregate juvenile detention centers and toward home-based foster care placements.

Richard Mendel, a senior research fellow with the Sentencing Project, said the rise in lawsuits likely stems from legal changes around the statute of limitations for such crimes. Though the lawsuit was filed in federal court, Nevada lawmakers in 2021 passed a bill (SB203) that largely eliminated the statue of limitations in civil actions related to the sexual abuse of minors.

Mendel noted that most states do not have strong enforcement mechanisms in place for existing laws such as the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act, which mandates zero-tolerance standards for confined youth.

Attorneys representing the plaintiffs, Timothy O'Reilly and Doug Rochen with DiCello Levitt LLP, declined an interview but wrote in a statement, "No child should ever be harmed by adults entrusted with their safety."

"Our clients are bravely coming forward to seek accountability and justice for abuse that never should have happened," Rochen and O'Reilly wrote, adding that the 96 plaintiffs' "courage sends a powerful message to others who have not yet been able to come forward: they are not alone."

Abuse 'endemic' in juvenile detention centers

Mendel and other critics say the allegations underscore fundamental problems with incarcerating youth — a practice still widespread in Nevada.

Roughly 5,000 Nevada youth were in county or state juvenile custody in fiscal year 2023. The Caliente Youth Center, the Nevada Youth Training Center, the Summit View Youth Center, the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center and the China Spring Youth Camp are all named in the lawsuit. 

The suit, which describes abuses that allegedly occurred from 2001 through 2024, claims that facility staff actively worked to conceal abuse by falsifying records, tampering with surveillance systems and threatening whistleblowers. The complaint cites multiple state and federal mandates that were allegedly violated, including the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. 

Attorneys wrote that they suspect that around 500 people participated in or turned a blind eye to the abuse in the facilities, and they intend to show true names and capacities "when they have been ascertained." 

Plaintiffs' names were left out of the lawsuit because as victims of sexual abuse and harassment, their identities have been protected. 

Along with compensation for trial and attorneys costs, past and future medical care, general and punitive damages, and loss of earnings and earning capacity, the 96 plaintiffs are also seeking to hold the defendants, many named as "John Does," accountable "for their failure to prevent and their active concealment of sexual abuse, as well as for the lasting psychological harm inflicted on these young victims."

Kate Burdick, a senior attorney at the Juvenile Law Center, said the allegations in the lawsuit made her sick, but didn't surprise her.

"Far too often young people enter the juvenile legal system only to face harsh conditions and even abuse, and too often what happens behind bars is hidden from the public," Burdick told The Nevada Independent. "Unfortunately, abuse is endemic in juvenile correctional facilities, and has been for a very long time."

Though protection laws are in place, Burdick noted that often young people are scared of retaliation and retribution and if they do speak out, their complaints are often not believed. Without robust, third-party oversight that ensures youth have a safe way to report, she said there's often discouragement to do so. 

Poor oversight, she added, can lead to other traumatizing practices, such as solitary confinement, mechanical restraints and excessive force. Advocates for youth criminal justice reform, Burdick noted, say the solution is for young people not to be incarcerated in the first place and instead to be kept in their communities. 

Mendel's research with The Sentencing Project also shows that incarcerating youth is an "ineffective strategy for steering youth away from delinquent behavior and that high rates of youth incarceration do not improve public safety." Alternatives that are more effective include youth advocate programs, wraparound care programs and grassroots organizations that provide counseling, support and skill-building, he said.

Burdick also noted that harms are not falling equally on all young people. Sentencing Project data from 2023 indicates that Black youth are 7.1 times more likely to be placed in juvenile facilities as their white peers in Nevada.

"We do see across the country, staggering racial disparities in who is being locked up due to bias, overpolicing, etc," Burdick said. "On top of this being terrible for anyone, there is also an important equity issue here."