After a Perris man was sentenced for seven years in prison for abusing several children who had been previously rescued from their biological parents’ home, the victims Monday demanded change and a financial compensation from Riverside County and a private foster care agency.
The 13 children, who were rescued from the home of their biological parents, David and Louise Turpin, in January 2018 after years of torture, imprisonment and starvation, shared their reaction in a news conference through their attorneys Monday morning after the foster father for several of the children was sentenced to seven years in prison.
65-year-old Marcelino Olguin was sentenced to seven years in prison Friday for child abuse and lewd acts on a child under 14 years old.
Olguin allegedly kissed the victims and told them not to wear undershirts. There were other alleged acts of touching the children, whom the defendants also encouraged to fight, according to court documents.
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Olguin’s wife and daughter also admitted to child abuse and were sentenced to probation and a work release program.
As soon as learning the fate of their foster family, the Turpin children asked, “What’s next?” according to their attorney.
“(The Turpin children) were told over and over again, ‘You are safe. You are saved. We will help you. You’ve got to trust us,'” said Elan Zektser, the attorney for the older children. “Then they were placed here with a child molester. They were placed here with child abusers.”
Roger Booth, who represents the four youngest Turpin kids, said Riverside County was responsible to extending the child abuse and trauma for the victims while suggesting more abuse can happen under the current system.
“It shouldn't have happened,” Booth said. “The responsibility that the County of Riverside Department of Social Services has and the responsibility ChildNet has is far greater because it extends to thousands of kids that they have responsibility over. And if they're not actively protecting kids that need to be protected, the level of harm that can happen is much much greater than what a single foster family can do.”
In addition to seeking systematic changes within Riverside County’s Department of Social Services, the attorneys want a confidential amount of confidential compensations for the victims.
“How much is it worth? How much would you pay to be put in that situation? Would you be okay with a million bucks for the rest of your life after being abused sexually and physically and emotionally? The answer is no,” said Zektser. “These young adults now need help, and that's going to cost money, and money changes things.”
In a statement on Monday, a representative for Riverside County said the county severed ties with ChildNet.
"The trauma this family endured is heartbreaking," the county said in a statement. "We remain committed to their wellbeing and their lifelong journey of healing. We appreciate our County and community partners, who collaborate with us to support this family, and every family, with services and resources."
"The Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) no longer places children in homes through the agency formerly known as ChildNet," its statement continued. "DPSS continues to address existing placement gaps and expand safe, available placements. Recently, the County invested more than $30 million to purchase and staff a therapeutic campus for children with complex needs awaiting placement."
The foster family's abuse was an extension of what the Turpin children had endured at the hands of their own parents.
David Turpin, now 63, and Louise Turpin, now 56, were each sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison in 2019.
The couple operated what prosecutors and investigators described as a "house of horrors,'' keeping some of the children caged or chained most times of the day, forcing them to subsist on peanut butter sandwiches and burritos, making them sleep up to 20 hours daily, and allowing them to shower only once a year.
The parents also engaged in repeated physical abuse, resulting in injuries. The conditions were uncovered in January 2018 when one of the Turpin girls, then-17-year-old Jordan Turpin, escaped through a window and called 911.
City News Service contributed to this report.
