Molestation Charges Against SFPD Officer Highlight Problem of Sexual Abuse by Authority Figures
Santa Cruz, CA (PRWEB) January 29, 2014 -- On January 24th, CBS Local San Francisco reported that SFPD officer Richard Hastings appeared in the Contra Costa County Superior Court on charges that he molested a 15-year-old boy in Concord and kept child pornography.
While attention is currently centered on the criminal charges against Hastings, well-known sexual abuse attorney Stephen J. Estey, of the personal injury firm Estey & Bomberger, notes that molestation by individuals in positions of authority is, unfortunately, nothing new:
“Failing to protect a child from sexual abuse by an individual in a position of authority is simply unacceptable. While the individuals who are responsible for these terrible acts must be held accountable in criminal courts, we must also be tenacious in demanding that institutional safeguards be established to ensure that these individuals cannot gain access to our children in the first place."
Estey believes that policy changes which could help prevent this type of abuse from occurring will only come about when the institutions where these sexual predators exist are held accountable.
"I have made it my life's work to help ensure that child molesters are put at every possible disadvantage when it comes to gaining access to vulnerable children. I believe that goal can be achieved, but not in the absence of institutional accountability."
Contact:
Estey & Bomberger, LLP
2869 India St
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 873-4498
Stephen Estey, Esq., Estey & Bomberger, LLP, http://www.esteybomberger.com/, +1 720-469-8715, [email protected]
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