District Attorney Opens Criminal Probe into Alleged Fraudulent Sex Abuse Claims Against LA County

Los Angeles County prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into potentially fraudulent sexual abuse claims filed under California Assembly Bill 218, District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced this week.

The investigation targets thousands of claims that may have been falsely filed against the county as part of what has already become the largest sex abuse settlement in U.S. history. The probe comes after the county agreed to a $4 billion settlement in April with approximately 6,800 claimants, followed by an additional $828 million settlement in October covering more than 400 cases.

“False reporting of sexual abuse undermines our entire justice system and is a grave disservice to actual victims who have already suffered unspeakable trauma,” Hochman said. “My Office is taking the allegations seriously that some individuals were paid cash to have law firms file false sexual abuse claims against the County.”

Since the initial settlement announcement, the number of claims has ballooned to more than 14,000, with prosecutors now investigating hundreds of these cases for potential fraud. The District Attorney’s Office is examining whether claimants, lawyers, recruiters, or doctors may have engaged in fraudulent activity.

California Assembly Bill 218, which took effect in 2020, significantly extended the statute of limitations for reporting childhood sexual abuse. The legislation opened a three-year window for victims to file claims that would have otherwise been time-barred, allowing many legitimate survivors to seek justice decades after their abuse occurred.

However, the massive financial settlements appear to have attracted potentially fraudulent claims. The county now faces an additional estimated 2,500 cases beyond those already settled, representing potentially billions more in liability for Los Angeles County taxpayers.

Legal experts note that large-scale abuse settlements have increasingly become targets for fraud. Similar investigations have occurred following settlements involving religious organizations and other institutions, where the difficulty of proving or disproving decades-old claims creates vulnerability in the system.

The investigation marks an important effort to balance supporting genuine victims while protecting public resources from exploitation. County officials have emphasized that the investigation aims to preserve funds for legitimate survivors rather than “greedy opportunists who profit from others’ pain,” as Hochman described potential fraudsters.

The dramatic increase in claims—from 6,800 in April to more than 14,000 currently—raised red flags for county officials. Investigators are particularly concerned about organized schemes involving recruiters who allegedly paid individuals to file false claims, with attorneys and medical professionals potentially complicit in the fraud.

The District Attorney’s Office has established a dedicated fraud hotline at (844) 901-0001 and created a website (fraud.lacounty.gov/ab218) for receiving information about potentially false claims. Authorities are encouraging non-lawyer claimants who filed false reports to come forward, promising that their statements will not be used against them.

This unusual immunity offer does not extend to attorneys, doctors, recruiters, or others who may have facilitated the fraud, suggesting prosecutors are focusing on those who organized or profited most significantly from any fraudulent schemes.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has pledged resources to support the investigation, recognizing both their obligation to genuine abuse survivors and their responsibility to taxpayers.

“My Office unequivocally stands with survivors, not greedy opportunists who profit from others’ pain,” Hochman emphasized, highlighting the dual goals of the investigation: protecting actual victims of childhood sexual abuse while preventing fraudulent claims from depleting resources meant for legitimate survivors.

As the investigation proceeds, legal experts anticipate it could lead to criminal charges for fraud, conspiracy, and potentially even practicing law without a license for non-attorney recruiters who may have provided legal advice to claimants.