Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Lawsuit: State Gave Foster Boys to Bisexual Child Molester
By News Release @ 6:18 PM :: 16599 Views :: Family, Hawaii State Government

Maui Lawsuit Alleges Minors Placed in Foster Care Repeatedly Sexually Assaulted

By Jon S. Jacobs, Esq., December 20, 2014

Honolulu, HI-A civil lawsuit filed on November 17, 2014, in Maui Circuit Court, alleges that two minors, placed in the custody of a foster parent by the Department of Human Services ("DHS"), were repeatedly sexually assaulted from 2009 to 2011 .

The foster parent, Florentino Rios, moved from Puerto Rico to Maui in 2008. While living in Puerto Rico, Mr. Rios married a 14-year old girl. Shortly after moving to Maui, Mr. Rios changed his name to Zack Morris, to emulate the fictional character from the children's sitcom "Saved by the Bell." Despite being unemployed and residing in a homeless shelter, Mr. Rios applied to be a foster parent, and was deemed fit to serve as one by DHS.

According to the allegations, John Doe 1 (age: 14) was placed with Mr. Rios in March 2009.  During his placement with Mr. Rios, they lived together in a one bedroom apartment in Kihei with Mr. Rios, Mr. Rios' wife, the Rios' child , and another adult male. While in Mr. Rios' custody, John Doe 1 was forced to consume alcohol and was repeatedly threatened and sexually assaulted by Mr. Rios.

In 2010, after John Doe 1's placement with Mr. Rios, and before John Doe 2 was placed with him, Mr. Rios filed two (2) lawsuits against the State of Hawaii, alleging discrimination against him as a foster parent, for the State failing to provide him with "preference and placement" and "unlawful investigations" of him. Despite the unusual allegations of Mr. Rios' lawsuits, DHS nonetheless authorized the placement of John Doe 2 with Mr. Rios.

From October 2010 to October 2011 , John Doe 2 (age: 15) was placed in the custody of Mr. Rios. Prior to John Doe 2's placement, Mr. Rios had specifically requested of DHS that he serve as John Doe 2's foster parent, as they had previously met while living in a homeless shelter. At the time of John Doe 2's placement, Mr. Rios had moved to Hana, one of the most isolated and remote locations in the Hawaiian Islands. While in the custody of Mr. Rios in Hana, John Doe 2 was sexually assaulted on a daily basis, forced to watch pornographic videos, locked in an empty room, strangled, and refused contact with his biological parents and therapists.

On October 21 , 2011 , Mr. Rios was indicted by a Maui grand jury on twenty (20) felony charges arising from the sexual assaults of John Doe 1 and John Doe 2. On February 25, 2013, Mr. Rios was indicted on additional felony charges of kidnapping and sexual assault. Pursuant to a plea agreement, on February 7, 2014, Mr. Rios pleaded "no contest" to several of the felony charges arising from his sexual abuse of John Doe 1 and John Doe 2, and was sentenced to serve twenty (20) years in prison. He is currently incarcerated at the Halawa Correctional Facility.

PDF: Text of Lawsuit

MN: Molester was Married to 14-year old girl

MN: Small voice ‘very powerful’ in sex abuse case

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT