Accused California Priests: Theodore Llanos
News about sexual misconduct continues to surround the priests and clergy of the Catholic Church. Almost 1,700 priests and clergy persons are known sexual abusers, with most of these cases involving male priests molesting young boys. While some survivors face their abusers in court, the Church is working hard to handle matters privately to avoid further scandals and damage to the Church’s reputation.
Among these priests is Father Theodore Llanos. Many of these accusations against Fr. Llanos would come later in life when the victims were adults, confident enough to open up about what happened to them during their childhoods.
Assignments
St. Bernard, Los Angeles, CA
1979St. Bernard, Bellflower, CA
1980-1984St. Louise de Marillac, Covina, CA
1985-1989Epiphany, South El Monte, CA
1993-1996St. Lucy, Long Beach, CA
1995Absent on sick leave
1996St. Lucy, Long Beach, CA
Life and Charges
Fr. Llanos has been accused of sexually abusing more than 30 minors over a 20 year period since his ordination in 1974 until 1994. His authority status was a major factor in his access to minors and his ability to protect himself from exposure. After rising to the Personnel Board, he had the power to manipulate decision-making on measures taken against priests facing sexual assault charges.
Fr. Llanos’ first notable sexual abuse incident spanned four years, between 1988 and 1992. He was accused of sexually molesting a male minor at least three different times while assigned to St. Barnabas Church in Long Beach, California. The boy was assaulted from ages 8-12 while Fr. Llanos was posing as a friend to the boy’s family. He sexually molested the child and performed oral sex. All of these incidents happened near the boy’s home.
Punishment
Several civil lawsuits and criminal charges were filed against Llanos. These include six counts in 1996, two in 1997, and two in 2003. He was charged on 38 counts of sexually abusing minors while serving at St. Barnabas Church in Long Beach and other parishes. All of the criminal charges would be later dropped by a judge in 1991, based on the expiration of the statute of limitations.
In 1995, the Church sent Father Llanos to St Luke Institute, an infamous institution used to treat priests facing sexual misconduct allegations involving children. He would later commit suicide in 1996. The sexual molestation case against him during his time at St. Barnabas Church in Long Beach, California, would be settled years later in 2020.
How We Can Help
In 2019, the California State Assembly passed the California Child Victims Act. This law allows victims of child sexual assault a “look back window” to name their abusers and hold them accountable in court. The law previously limited claims of child sexual assault until the age of 26, but the new act extends the timeframe until age 40. The look back window is scheduled to close on December 31, 2022.
Sexual assault is a devastating experience that leaves victims with permanent physical, emotional, and mental scars. The lawyers at Herman Law are dedicated to finding justice for victims of sexual assault at the hands of clergy members. Contact our team today if you have a claim against Father Theodore “Ted” Llanos or any clergy in California.