TAMPA -- A mother is suing after her son was allegedly raped by an older male child while staying at Hope Children's Home.
John Doe, through his Mother/Guardian Jane Doe, filed a complaint on June 29 in Hillsborough County Circuit Court against Hope International Ministries, Inc. d/b/a Hope Children's Home for negligence.
According to the complaint, John Doe, age nine at the time, was living at Hope Children's Home between Feb. 4, 2020, and Feb. 6, 2020, for residential care and rehabilitation services.
During John Doe's stay at the home, the mother alleges that an older male child staying at the home was sexually active with another male child and the home failed to notify the Department of Children and Families Abuse Hotline and failed to transfer the resident from the facilities.
Jane Doe alleges that the home allowed the other sexually active male child to stay in the home and room with younger children and caused John Doe to get attacked while staying at the home. Jane Doe alleges her son was molested, sodomized and raped by the older male child due to the negligence and lack of supervision at the home.
Doe is represented by Steve D. Parker.
Circuit Court for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit of the state of Florida, in and for Hillsborough County Civil Division filing number 129745254