"Four former female Whittier Police Explorers who accused former police officers of sexually abusing them will receive a $3.5-million settlement from the city, an attorney for the women announced Wednesday. Anthony DeMarco, an attorney who helped secure a more-than-$700-million settlement with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for priest sex crime victims, said the city of Whittier's lawyers agreed to the settlement shortly before the first of the two former Explorer's cases was set to go to trial."
"According to the lawsuits, the former Explorers suffered sexual abuse from several officers in the late 1970s when they were 14 to 18 years old. The lawsuits allege that the Whittier police culture allowed officers to abuse their authority to engage in sexual activity with underage female Explorers they were supposed to be mentoring."
"At the heart of the allegations was now-retired Officer Charles Drylie, who supervised the youths, allegedly groomed them, and then sexually abused them in a squad car during active duty hours, according to the lawsuits. Drylie, who worked there until the late 1980s, used the 'Ride-Along' activities to isolate underage female Explorers, manipulate and coerce them into sexual activity."
Four former female Whittier Police Explorers reached a $3.5-million settlement with the city for sexual abuse perpetrated by police officers during the late 1970s when the victims were between 14 and 18 years old. The lawsuits alleged that retired Officer Charles Drylie supervised, groomed, and sexually abused the young women during ride-along activities, using his authority to manipulate and coerce them into sexual activity. The police department's culture allegedly enabled officers to abuse their supervisory positions. A successor officer continued the assaults after Drylie. The settlement was reached shortly before trial proceedings were scheduled to begin, with attorney Anthony DeMarco representing the victims.
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