Dozens of former King County juvenile detainees sue over decades of sexual abuse

KING COUNTY, Wash. - Thirty-six former juvenile detainees have filed a sweeping lawsuit against King County, alleging that for more than four decades, children and teens in the county’s custody were repeatedly subjected to sexual abuse, assault, harassment, and retaliation, often by county employees entrusted with their care.

Timeline:

The suit, filed in King County Superior Court on April 29, 2025, accuses the county of institutional negligence, detailing a pervasive culture of abuse spanning from the late 1960s through the 2000s.

The plaintiffs, who were all minors during their incarceration, describe harrowing experiences inside the county’s juvenile detention center and, in some cases, the adult jail in Seattle. The complaint includes graphic allegations of rape, groping, voyeurism, and forced sexual contact, often carried out in isolation, at night, or under the guise of routine supervision.

What they're saying:

In several cases, plaintiffs allege they were threatened with longer sentences or loss of privileges if they reported abuse. Some were plied with drugs, candy, or food by staff to manipulate or silence them. The lawsuit alleges King County failed to provide proper reporting systems, ignored red flags, and enabled repeat offenders, some of whom continued the abuse even after the victims' release.

Among the most high-profile figures named is Judge Gary Little, a former King County Superior Court judge who is accused of abusing multiple boys while on the bench. According to the complaint, King County staff knowingly escorted boys to Little’s chambers and allowed him to take them to his home, where abuse occurred. Little died by suicide in 1988 shortly before a news article detailing the abuse was set to publish.

Also named in the lawsuit are multiple guards, probation officers, a nurse, and a teacher, many of whom allegedly assaulted children under the county’s supervision in bathrooms, supply closets, cells, and blind spots without surveillance.

The plaintiffs accuse King County of failing to adopt federal standards such as the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) and waiting until 2015 to implement a "zero tolerance" policy for sexual abuse in detention centers—long after PREA became law in 2003.

What's next:

According to the complaint, King County’s lack of oversight, failure to act on known misconduct, and culture of silence allowed the abuse to flourish unchecked for decades. The plaintiffs are seeking damages for the lifelong trauma and psychological harm they say was caused by King County’s systemic negligence.

Lawyers say they know there are more victims out there, and ask that victims reach out to them through the Bergman Oslund Udo Little, PLLC website.

FOX 13 Seattle reached out to King County for comment and received the following statement: 

"We will be thoroughly investigating each claim. We are committed to the safety and well-being of all youth in our juvenile detention facility. We will continue to uphold robust standards that have been put in place over the course of many years to protect young people in our care from harm."

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