Blog & News

As a Crime Victim Lawyer, one of the most important meetings is the initial interview to listen to the victim’s story. Just verbalizing the sexual violence they suffered can be re-traumatizing, so, lawyers should understand their role as Trauma Informed advocates in order to foster a trusting environment in which the client can tell their story uninterrupted. Consider the following: Tell the victim you are sorry that they suffered sexual...Read More

A Houston-area priest has pleaded guilty to child indecency charges in a case that has put a focus on the archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and its failures over the handling of sexual abuse cases. The Rev. Manuel La Rosa-Lopez, 62, pleaded guilty to two out of five charges of indecency with a child Nov. 17, as part of an agreement with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. He faces 10 years in prison in the...Read More

Note: this article is in Spanish El padre Manuel La Rosa-Lopez se ha declarado culpable de dos cargos en un caso de abuso sexual contra menores de edad en el área de Houston, Texas, por lo que enfrentará una sentencia de 10 años en prisión. La fiscal principal del condado de Montgomery, Nancy Hebert, explicó en entrevista con Noticias Telemundo Investiga que La Rosa-Lopez admitió su culpabilidad en un acuerdo con...Read More

CONROE – Father Manuel Antonio La Rosa Lopez left a Conroe courtroom in manacles Wednesday after being sentenced to ten years in prison for two counts of indecency with a child. “He feels remorseful. This is a sad episode that’s over,” said his attorney Wendell Odom. The cases stem from his sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy while La Rosa Lopez served as pastor at Conroe’s Sacred...Read More

What is grooming?  A recent Article in Psychology Today by Elizabeth Jeglic, Ph.D, contains important information for parents. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/protecting-children-sexual-abuse/202010/detecting-sexual-grooming?fbclid=IwAR0fseosJh6j846aUFic_YL2qUGNRS8bayI-o2XHqYHMaRJNrNSb_H7eOsM As the author explains, “Grooming” is the  deceptive process sexual predators use to develop trust with a child-victim as well as other adults in the child’s life.  Grooming “desensitizes” the child to sexual content and physical contact. Post-abuse, the offender may engage in  other strategies in order to facilitate future sexual abuse and/or prevent...Read More