In Knoxville, TN, the Diocese of the Catholic Church admitted that a retired priest admitted he had sexually abused a congregation member. Father Bill Casey admitted to the charge that he sexually abused Warren Tucker on numerous occasions. The story of clergy abuse, sexual abuse at the hands of a trusted church official, is becoming all too common. Church sex scandals, though, are not the only organizational child sex abuse scandals that exist. Far too many trusted organizations like schools, medical practices, even the Boy Scouts of America are making headlines with too many sex abuse scandals.
Take the Martin teacher, Stan Vickers of Westview High School, recently arrested on federal sex abuse charges. Vickers allegedly took a minor across state lines to engage in sexual activity with the teen. The alleged sex abuse crime happened back in 2003, but was only recently brought to light. It often happens that sex abuse crimes are not revealed until years after the child sex abuse takes place, but that doesn’t mean that justice can’t be served.
Attorney Samuel Rogatinsky cares very deeply about survivors of sexual abuse, and he wants to help them find closure and get the ordeal over with once and for all. He helps his clients find therapy and get the settlement they deserve. In addition to minister sex abuse, clergy abuse cases, and Catholic sex abuse cases, Sam will target and prosecute sex abusers from any organization, even the Boy Scouts of America and health care facilities. In fact, Mr. Rogatinsky recently filed a sex abuse suit against a mental health facility that was abusing a patient. The Rogatinsky Firm helps sex abuse victims put their lives back together. Sam will file child sexual abuse cases against churches, schools, daycare centers, mental health facilities, even athletic organizations. Call Sam now either on the toll free number found on this site or at (954) 995-3805 if you don’t catch him in the office. Your call is important. Mr. Rogatinsky understands the rigors child sex abuse survivors endure and recommends the assistance of child sex abuse sites like http://www.1in6.org/ and http://www.snapnetwork.org/.
Call Mr. Rogatinsky if you have a sex abuse or child sex abuse case, it’s time you found closure. For your convenience, the statute of limitations for Tennessee are listed here:
Statute of Limitations for Civil Cases:
- There is a 1 year Statute of Limitations for child sexual abuse personal tort actions. Personal tort actions have to be filed within ayear of the date that the injury was inflicted by the sex abuse. Tenn. Code. Ann. § 28-3-104 (West 2008). The sex abuse case can also be filed within 1 year of the victim’s 18th birthday 18. Tenn. Code. Ann.§ 28-1-106 (West 2008). The discovery rule is applied in common law but it is very strictly applied based on reasonable discovery with due diligence that there is a causal relationship between the sex abuse and the injury. Hunter v. Brown, 955 S.W.2d 49 (Tenn. 1997)
Statute of Limitations for Criminal Cases:
- There is a varying Statute of Limitations based on the sexual abuse itself, with a 15 year Statute of Limitations for Class A sex abuse felonies, and 8 year Statute of Limitations for Class B felonies, and a 4 year Statute of Limitations for Class C and D felonies. (§ 39-13-531) (§ 39-13-522) (§ 39-13-502) (§ 39-13-503) (§ 39-13-532) Tenn. Code. Ann. § 40-2-101 (West 2008), (§ 39-13-527) (§ 39-15-302). These offenses are tolled until the victim turns 18 or 4 years after the offense was committed, if the sex abuse was committed against a minor before July 1st, 1997 for aggravated rape (§ 39-13-502), rape (§ 39-13-503), aggravated sexual battery (§ 39-13-504), sexual battery (§ 39-13-505), or incest (§ 39-15-302) unless the sex abuse occurred before November 1st, 1989. Tenn. Code. Ann.§ 40-2-101 (West 2008). It is also tolled until the sex abuse victim turns 21 if the sex abuse of the minor occurred before July 1st, 1997, pertaining to aggravated rape (§ 39-13-502), rape (§ 39-13-503), aggravated sexual battery (§ 39-13-504), sexual battery (§ 39-13-505), or incest if the victim was over 3 years old but less than age 13. (§ 39-13-522). Tenn. Code. Ann.§ 40-2-101 (West 2008).
- There is a 25 year Statute of Limitations past the victim’s 18th birthday if the sex abuse, constituting aggravated rape (§ 39-13-502), rape (§ 39-13-503), aggravated sexual battery (§ 39-13-504), sexual battery (§ 39-13-505), or rape of a child over 3 years old but less than 13 if the sex abuse was committed after June 20th, 2006. Tenn. Code. Ann.§ 40-2-101 (West 2008) (§ 39-13-522)
If someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse by a member of the clergy, contact our law firm at (954) 995.3805 or send an email to sexual abuse lawyer Samuel Rogatinsky at samr@clergyabuse.org