Teen Victim's Family Sues Contra Costa, Therapist Facing Felony Sex Abuse Charges

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — Contra Costa County prosecutors have filed seven felony charges against a former behavioral health clinician accused of sexually abusing a teenage client, while the boy's family is preparing a civil lawsuit alleging county and state agencies failed to stop years of grooming and misconduct.

Sofia Ann-Buitron Drotts, of San Francisco, faces charges including unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, sending harmful matter to a minor, possession of child sexual abuse material, and additional sex abuse-related offenses involving a minor, according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors allege Drotts worked as a behavioral health clinician at the John A. Davis Juvenile Hall in Martinez, where she was assigned to provide therapy to the boy, identified in court documents as John Doe.

According to prosecutors, after Doe was released from custody, Drotts allegedly engaged in a sexual relationship with him between April 1 and July 14, 2026.

Concord police arrested Drotts on July 14 after a supervisor with the Contra Costa County Probation Department reported the alleged relationship, according to reports.

The criminal case comes as Doe's family, represented by Oakland civil rights attorney John Burris, filed a government tort claim against Contra Costa County, the State of California, and multiple county and state agencies, alleging officials failed to protect the teenager while he was in custody and under court-ordered mental health treatment.

The claim is the required first step before filing a lawsuit against public agencies in California.

According to the claim, the teen entered John A. Davis Juvenile Hall in 2024 at approximately age 15 and remained in county custody for about two years.

During that time, the county assigned Drotts, then a Contra Costa County Health clinician, as his therapist.

The filing alleges Drotts used her position to groom the teenager through inappropriate personal and romantic conversations before later engaging in unlawful sexual contact after his release while continuing to serve as his therapist.

The claim alleges Doe remained under the supervision of the Contra Costa County Probation Department after his April 3, 2026, release and continued receiving therapy from Drotts through Contra Costa Health.

Burris contends that, because Doe was a 17-year-old ward of the court receiving court-ordered treatment, he could not legally consent to a sexual relationship with the therapist assigned to his care.

"We trusted these professionals with our son's healing, and that trust was betrayed and fundamentally shattered," Doe's mother, Sage Moala, said in a statement released through Burris' office.

Burris alleged Drotts exploited Doe's emotional vulnerability instead of providing appropriate mental health treatment.

"The therapist's conduct is deeply offensive," Burris said. "Instead of receiving rehabilitative health care services, Doe was allegedly groomed for the therapist's personal sexual gratification through predatory tactics."

The government claim alleges Drotts continued treating Doe after his release while participating in regular wraparound meetings with probation officers and other county professionals responsible for his rehabilitation.

Despite those interactions, the filing alleges supervisors and employees failed to recognize warning signs or intervene.

According to the claim, Drotts allegedly held "therapy sessions" in her personal vehicle, transported Doe to public places alone, encouraged him to violate the conditions of his probation by skipping school and missing curfew, and allowed him to spend nights at her San Francisco home without parental consent.

The filing further alleges county officials changed Doe's probation officer at least four times after his release, but the alleged misconduct continued unnoticed for months. Those allegations have not been proven in court.

The filing also alleges county and state agencies failed to properly hire, supervise, train, and monitor employees responsible for protecting minors in custody.

It seeks damages exceeding $100,000 and lists claims including negligence, negligent hiring, negligent supervision, negligent retention, failure to prevent sexual abuse, emotional distress, and violations of state and federal civil rights laws.

Burris also said the case highlights the need to protect boys in custody from sexual exploitation as aggressively as girls.

Contra Costa County officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday. State officials also had not publicly responded to the allegations.

The criminal prosecution against Drotts will proceed separately from any civil lawsuit filed by Doe's family. The allegations contained in the government claim represent the family's claims and have not been proven in court.

Bay City News contributed to this report.
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