Lawsuit Information Center

Survivors of sexual abuse at High Desert Juvenile Detention Center are now filing civil lawsuits against San Bernardino County for failing to protect them. These sex abuse lawsuits allege that staff members at the facility sexually abused minors in custody and that the San Bernardino County Probation Department ignored warning signs and allowed the abuse to continue. Victims of abuse at High Desert may now be eligible for settlement compensation and the opportunity to hold the county accountable.

If you have a potential sex abuse lawsuit involving High Desert Juvenile Detention Center, call our sex abuse lawyers today at 800-553-8082 or get a free online consultation.

High Desert Juvenile Detention Center

Camp Barrett was a juvenile detention facility operated by the San Diego County Probation Department and located in Alpine, California. It was meant to serve as a rehabilitation program for boys placed in custody by the juvenile court system—many of whom were minors with no history of violence. But for some of the youth sent there, Camp Barrett became a site of profound trauma.

Survivors have come forward with allegations that staff members—including sworn officers—sexually abused boys in their custody, taking advantage of the facility’s isolation and lack of oversight. The reports describe a system that did not simply overlook warning signs but created the conditions that allowed abuse to occur. Officers had access to children in private spaces, complaints were ignored or never documented, and leadership failed to act despite indications of misconduct.

Instead of safety and rehabilitation, these boys were met with exploitation. And the very institution responsible for their care, the San Diego County Probation Department, now faces serious questions about how this abuse was allowed to continue unchecked for years.