272 people say in lawsuit that they were sexual abused at Illinois juvenile detention facilities
CHICAGO (CSBS) -- A scathing new lawsuit accuses Cook County and Illinois state employees of sexually abusing children held in detention facilities.
The complaints are 410 pages long altogether—and the details of what 272 men and women say happened to them in juvenile custody are unsettling.
Two of those survivors spoke out at a news conference Tuesday.
"What we go through, we don't wish upon anybody," said Michael Moss.
Most of the accusers are identified by initials in the complaints, but Moss, 30, and Khadafi Muhammad, 37, boldly stood and told their stories in the Loop Tuesday.
A complaint says Muhammad was abused at Illinois Youth Center in St. Charles when he was 15 and 16 years old. Moss was housed at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago when he was 17 years old.
In the complaint, many say their abusers threatened them with beatings, solitary confinement, transfers to harsher facilities, and longer sentences if they reported the abuse.
They say others were given extra food, cigarettes, and rewards—like the chance to play video games if they kept quiet.
"I was only 15 years old when it started. Even two decades later, I still have nightmares about the incident," said Muhammad. "I felt scared and confused. My abusers impacted my relationship with the people around me."
Fighting through tears, Muhammad recalled the abuse he said he suffered.
"I'm speaking to you today because I want to bring awareness to the sexual abuse and corruption going on at Illinois Youth Center," said Muhammad. "I want to thank Allah for giving us justice after all these years."
The complaint filed Tuesday was not the first. Many others have come forward with the same accusations—a total of 667 since May.
The Cook County Bureau of Economic Development said it will not comment about pending litigation. The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice said it will not talk about the lawsuit, but it does take the safety of youth in its care seriously.
