Officials concerned about protecting youngsters from predators in child welfare system Spotlight on female workers in wake of recent allegations

By Ofelia Casillas, Tribune Reporter

February 14, 2010


Four times recently adult women have been investigated on allegations of sexually abusing some of the state's most vulnerable teen boys— those living in child welfare facilities where they were seeking treatment for abuse, neglect or behavioral problems.

A 29-year-old teacher faces charges of having sex with a 15-year-old in Chicago. A 40-year-old instructor was convicted of having sex with a 16-year-old in a Mundelein institution. A 26-year-old Lake Villa therapist is scheduled to go on trial in April for accusations that she sexually assaulted a 14-year-old.

And now, River Forest police are investigating allegations that a woman in a care-giving role had sexual contact with a teen resident of a child welfare facility.

The string of incidents has raised concern among child welfare officials who wonder if more can be done to protect a fragile population from being preyed upon by the adults who are charged with caring for them.

"It's like going to a cop because you've been robbed and then the cop robbing you," said Cook County Public Guardian Robert Harris.

"Kids in the system are abused and neglected. Their whole emotional and psychological state is often fragile or compromised. To have a therapist or someone in a position of trust like this either manipulate that fragility or take advantage of it, it's abhorrent," he said.

Experts say the public is largely unaware of the problem, in part because statistics show there are fewer female than male sex offenders and because the offenses contradict the perceptions of women as motherly and nurturing. Also, society has tended to wink at such relationships, some even considering the young men lucky to get sexual attention from a more experienced woman.

A 40-year-old instructor was convicted of having sex in 2008 with a 16-year-old resident at the Alternative Behavior Treatment Centers in Lake County and given a 5-year sentence.

Last August, a 26-year-old counselor from Kids Hope United in Lake Villa was accused of having sex with a 14-year-old resident. Cori Rivelli of Libertyville pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Her trial is expected to start on April 26 in Lake County Circuit Court.

In Chicago, a 29-year-old teacher was alleged to have been having an inappropriate physical relationship with a 15-year-old male student at a Lawrence Hall Youth Services facility.

According to a lawsuit filed in April by that young man's family, Linda Pithyou engaged in oral sex and sexual intercourse with the boy between January and February of 2009, sometimes with her 16-month-old baby in the back seat of her car.

Pithyou has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

None of these women appeared to have previous criminal histories in Cook County. None could be reached for comment.

In Illinois, sexual exploitation of children by teachers and counselors is "unfortunately nothing new," said Kendall Marlowe, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

"We must treat these crimes very seriously regardless of whether the perpetrator is a man or a woman," he added.

While there is debate among researchers surrounding the traits and experiences that contribute to women sexually offending against adolescents, some experts agree on likely predictors.

A 2002 study on female sexual abusers labeled a subgroup: "The Teacher/Lover Offender." These women, the study found, did not want to harm their victims and typically didn't even consider them as such.

"Usually, women who fit into this category have a difficult time understanding that the relationship was not one based on equality but was abusive," the study found.

These women had survived severe emotional and physical abuse; some were sexually abused as children. They also reported feeling "brutalized by adult men" and so had turned to adolescents.

Experts say such women could be immensely immature and suffer from personality disorders.

Marlowe said applicants at child welfare facilities must clear criminal and child abuse background checks that include fingerprinting. But, he said, "no background check will ever screen out a first-time offender."

There is a new test on the market called the Diana Screen that claims to screen for adults who may be at risk of the behavior.

Robin McGinnis, founder and chief executive officer of Alternative Behavior Treatment Centers in Mundelein, said she hopes to start using the Diana Screen and has also reached out to other child welfare officials to talk about exploring new ways to weed out problematic applicants.

"This is a national epidemic. We need to talk about it," McGinnis said. "This is not about me or my agency. This is about a problem that everyone is experiencing."

ocasillas@tribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-therapist-sex-20100212,0,5021046.story