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Lawyer Commentary: Have you or a member of your family been sexually assaulted and looking for a nursing home sexual abuse lawyer? Continue reading below for commentary from attorney Guy D'Andrea.
Former Good Samaritan Home chaplain James E. Riley has agreed to plead guilty to sexually abusing two residents of the nursing home. Riley appeared in court last Thursday, August 29 and waived his right to a jury trial. The case has been set for a plea and sentencing hearing on Monday, September 9.
The 58-year-old former chaplain has also agreed to enter a guilty plea in an unrelated sexual abuse case. In that case, Riley has been charged with one count of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and three counts of criminal sexual assault.
As part of the negotiated plea with the Adams county District Attorney’s Office, Riley is expected to plead guilty to two counts of criminal sexual abuse, one count of criminal sexual assault, and one count of predatory criminal sexual assault.
If Riley does in fact plead guilty to these charges, he will be sentenced to a combined 26 years in prison – seven years for each count of criminal sexual assault, six for predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, and six for criminal sexual assault. All of these sentences would run consecutively.
In the nursing home case, Riley is accused of sexually assaulting two Good Samaritan House residents through the use of force. The victims are ages 88 and 78 and the assaults are said to have happened at the Good Samaritan Home in May of this year.
Riley was arrested on June 24 after Good Samaritan Home administrators contacted the Quincy Police Department to report that a resident had been sexually assaulted by a chaplain. He was arrested a second time on July 8 after the police were notified of child sex abuse allegations involving two girls.
Riley is being held in the Adams County Jail on $500,000 bond.
Attorney Guy D'Andrea helps sex abuse victims and their families fight for answers, support, and justice in civil lawsuits. Here is Brian with a few thoughts on the legal rights available to nursing home sex abuse victims and their families:
Nursing homes have a legal duty to make sure their residents are safe. This includes providing them with the best quality of care possible and making sure that they are protected from physical and sexual abuse. But tragically, abuse and neglect is a widespread issue affecting nursing homes and assisted living facilities throughout the country.
When a nursing home resident comes forward and reports sexual abuse by a staff member, that resident and their family should be aware of their legal rights. Reporting the allegations to law enforcement is an important part of the process, but the available legal options don’t always stop here. In many cases, these victims and families may have grounds for a lawsuit against the facility for failing to prevent the abuse due to negligence.
For example, a nursing home might be considered negligent if they had ignored previous complaints of sexual misconduct involving an employee or if they had failed to run a background check before hiring the accused employee.
If you or a loved one is a victim of sexual abuse in a nursing home or assisted living facility, you can learn more about your family’s legal rights in a free consultation with an experienced sex abuse victims attorney.
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