Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman on Wednesday announced a criminal investigation into potentially fraudulent childhood sexual abuse claims filed against the County under California Assembly Bill 218, which extended the statute of limitations for such allegations.
The probe follows reports that individuals may have been paid to submit false claims through law firms, potentially defrauding the County and undermining legitimate survivors. Hochman said his office is investigating hundreds of cases and urged non-lawyer claimants who knowingly filed false reports to come forward, noting their statements will not be used against them. The offer does not extend to attorneys, doctors, recruiters or others who may have facilitated the alleged fraud.
“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 in a statement. “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. This is criminal conduct that abuses the law and steals from victims and taxpayers.
“I thank the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for their unwavering support of victims of childhood sexual abuse and their commitment to work with and provide resources to my Office and law enforcement to bring any and all fraudsters to justice. My Office unequivocally stands with survivors, not greedy opportunists who profit from others’ pain.”
The investigation comes amid a surge in claims following the County’s historic $4 billion settlement announced April 4, 2025, with 6,800 reported claimants. The Board of Supervisors approved the settlement on April 29, marking the largest sex abuse settlement in U.S. history. In the weeks after the announcement, thousands more claims were filed, bringing the total to more than 11,000.
On Oct. 17, the County reached a tentative $828 million settlement covering more than 400 additional cases. Officials now estimate more than 14,000 claims have been filed, with the number expected to rise — representing potentially billions of dollars in liability.
The District Attorney’s Office is examining whether fraud occurred among claimants, legal representatives, medical professionals and recruiters. Anyone with information about false claims or payments is urged to contact the LA County AB 218 Fraud Hotline at (844) 901-0001 or visit fraud.lacounty.gov/ab218. Reports are confidential and may be submitted anonymously.
AB 218, enacted in 2019, temporarily lifted the statute of limitations for filing childhood sexual abuse claims, allowing thousands of previously time-barred cases to proceed.
Hochman emphasized that the Office’s offer of immunity applies only to individual claimants who come forward voluntarily. “This only applies to individual claimants,” the statement reads. “It does not apply to attorneys, doctors, recruiters or anyone else who helped facilitate fraud.”
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