At least 100 more sexual abuse lawsuits filed against NYC Department of Correction
NEW YORK -- At least 100 more people have come forward with sexual abuse allegations against the New York City Department of Correction since CBS New York first reported the wave of lawsuits.
The new accusations were made days after the filing of 150 suits alleging decades of rampant sexual abuse at juvenile detention centers in New York City.
Clyde Wiggins is one of over 260 people now suing the city after they were allegedly abused at the Crossroads, Horizon, Rikers Island and now-closed Spofford juvenile detention facilities.
"It hurts my heart"
"Kids that keep going through this, it hurts my heart. So I'm gonna do whatever I have to do to make sure we shed light on the situation," Wiggins said.
Wiggins said he was 15 when he was sent to the Crossroads Juvenile Center in Brooklyn for 16 months. He couldn't bring himself to speak about the sexual abuse he said he suffered for years.
"Things that I went through, man, I wouldn't want nobody to go through. Being a father myself, if that happened to my son I would be devastated," said Wiggins, now 34 and a father of three.
NYC will review allegations
A New York City spokesperson responding to the allegations said, "Sexual abuse and harassment is abhorrent and unacceptable, and we take these allegations very seriously. While these cases predate this administration, the Law Department will review them once served and respond accordingly."
"We believe the mayor should be especially concerned. I mean, he has been inside of Spofford. He must be aware of the inhumane conditions at that juvenile facility," said attorney Jerry Block.
Law lifted statute of limitations for 2 years
The civil cases are being filed under New York City's Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law, which lifted the statute of limitations for victims of violence based on gender in the city to sue their alleged abusers until March 1, 2025.
In May, a woman filed a case against Sean "Diddy" Combs, alleging the hip-hop mogul drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2003, under the same law.