Attorney Robert Allard and the Cerri, Boskovich & Allard legal team, which represents child molestation victims, lobbied for the legislation after witnessing the revictimization of sexually abused children in civil cases by a defendant’s paid expert.

As an example, Mr. Allard provided details of a psychological examination that crossed the line and re-traumatized children. The civil lawsuit was against a San Jose daycare center. Three little girls between the ages of 5 and seven were sexually molested by Keith Woodhouse while attending a San Jose daycare. During the police investigation, Woodhouse admitted the crime. These girls had to relate the details of their molestation to investigating police officers, the District Attorney, the court and to the defendants in their civil lawsuit during their videotaped depositions. Even with all the recorded testimony available, the defendants moved to compel an examination of each girl by both a psychologist and psychiatrist for more than four hours. During the examination, the psychiatrist went into great depth into the details of the abuse causing each of these little girls severe emotional distress.

When it comes to protecting kids from sexual abuse, the law firm of Cerri, Boskovich & Allard is trusted by many parents. The law firm has represented in either an official or unofficial capacity well over 100 clients who as children were sexually abused as children. In nearly all of those cases, we have helped sex abuse victims get financial compensation for the harm that was caused to them by using the civil justice system.

The civil justice system remains the best way for the victim and family to receive justice and the compensation to offset the costs of lifetime psychological and physical treatment caused by abuse. A civil lawsuit has the added benefit of obtaining compensation through the private sector (through insurance) as opposed to through the public sector (through victim witness assistance).

For a free and confidential consultation, call 408-289-1417 or use the form on this page to email us.

Keith Woodhouse was convicted today of 30 felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14. Woodhouse was hired by Child Development Center, Inc. (CDI) to work at its day-care programs at Trace and El Rancho Elementary Schools in San Jose. While working at these locations, Woodhouse molested nine young girls.

Childhood molestation attorney Robert Allard, representing seven of the victims, issued the following statement. “The families are relieved that criminal justice has been imposed on a serial pedophile. Now we can turn our attention to repairing the damage to these children by holding accountable those organizations which allowed this to happen. Both the then-current and former employer of Woodhouse knew or should have known that he presented a grave risk to children. As a result, steps should have been taken to protect them. Instead, they were left vulnerable and unprotected and as a consequence savagely molested.”

Allard filed separate lawsuits against Child Development Centers, Inc. and Church on the Hill. The lawsuit against Child Development Centers, Inc. alleged that the state’s largest child care facility failed to supervise Keith Woodhouse as required by the law. In a lawsuit against Church on the Hill, the complaint alleged that the church provided a false and misleading recommendation for former employee Keith Woodhouse even though it knew Woodhouse had been accused of inappropriate behavior with young kids. The case against CDI was settled during trial. A jury found Church on the Hill negligent for its actions.

Attorney Robert Allard works closely with victims of childhood molestation and their families. He is dedicated to holding predators and the institutions which enable them responsible for the harm caused to young kids.