ABUSE PAYOUT SET BY BOARD.

Byline: Troy Anderson Staff Writer

In one of Los Angeles County's larger payouts in a sexual-abuse case, the Claims Board on Monday recommended a $230,000 settlement for three children who were sexually, physically and emotionally abused in foster care.

In two lawsuits, siblings identified as Marilyn and Kevin and their half-brother, Martin, alleged that during the 5 1/2 years they were in foster care, social workers failed to properly visit and supervise them to ensure they were protected, Assistant County Counsel Andrew W. Owens wrote in Claims Board documents.

The suits also claim Marilyn and Kevin were forced to engage in sex acts while the foster parents' children watched and that the girl was forced to watch as the biological children sexually abused her brother.

The foster parents' juvenile son later pleaded guilty to prohibited conduct with a minor and was placed on probation. An adult son pleaded guilty to one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child and lewd or lascivious acts with a child and was sentenced to prison.

The foster mother pleaded no contest to a charge of child endangerment and was placed on probation.

The total payout in the case is $775,000, but the county is liable for only $230,000. The rest will be paid by two foster family agencies.

The Board of Supervisors will vote April 18 whether to give final approval to the settlement.

Although a large settlement in a sexual-abuse case is relatively rare, hundreds of foster children have been sexually abused in recent years, according to Department of Children and Family Services data obtained by the Daily News.

From 2000 to 2005, the DCFS received 725 allegations that foster children had been sexually abused, including 213 that were substantiated.

The number of substantiated cases rose from 26 in 2000 and peaked at 40 in 2002, falling to 27 last year.

Troy Anderson, [phone]

troy.anderson(at)dailynews.com