EspañolOrange County Behavioral Therapist Salvador Arriaga (Full Name: Salvador Armando Arriaga) Pleaded Not Guilty To Molesting Autistic Boy at His Home
GARDEN GROVE, CALIFORNIA (May 29, 2025) – A 32-year-old behavioral therapist identified as Salvador Arriaga has been charged with molesting an autistic boy.
The defendant was working for Behavioral Health Works in Anaheim when the assault allegedly took place on September 18. The victim was at the Garden Grove home of Salvador Arriaga, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
The father of the boy allegedly saw his son in a walk-in closet with his pants down. Salvador Arriaga allegedly tried to climb out of a bedroom window when confronted.
This prompted the father to call the police. Salvador Arriaga has since pleaded not guilty to lewd and lascivious acts on a minor.
A full investigation remains ongoing.
Liability for Sexual Abuse Involving Behavioral Therapists
Sexual violence involving mental health professionals remains all too common. According to frontiers in Psychology, “Another study, with a sample of 1,000 clinical psychologists, revealed that 3.6% of them had already had sexual contact with a patient. In addition, 22.7% of the participants stated they had treated patients who were victims of SV by a mental health professional. Moreover, 38% of participants revealed knowing a psychologist who sexually abused a patient (Melville-Wiseman, 2012).” Children, especially those with learning disabilities, are particularly at-risk. Several measures should be taken to safeguard the well-being of children in this context.
- Background Checks: All mental health professionals should undergo comprehensive background checks. This should include cross-checking abuse registries.
- Mandatory Reporting: All facilities should have mandatory reporting and whistleblower protections.
- Supervision: Treatment centers should do everything in their power to prevent adults and children from being isolated with one another. This can include implementing a two-adult rule or open-door policies.
- Training: All facilities should train staff to recognize potential grooming behavior and signs of abuse.
Depending on the facts of any case, there could be several liable parties for any instance of sexual abuse involving a therapist. The company that employed a mental health professional who abused the patient could potentially be held at fault. This may be accomplished under the legal theory that the perpetrator was negligently hired, supervised, or retained. There are several elements that will need to be shown in any negligent hiring or retention claim.
- The employer hired or retained the employee in question.
- The employee was unfit or dangerous for the job that they were performing.
- The employer knew or should have known about the unfit nature of their employee.
- The employee cost harm to the plaintiff.
- The employer’s negligence was a substantial factor in causing that harm.
By the time any therapist is arrested for sexual abuse, there were often several red flags that were missed. It is relatively common for perpetrators to have multiple victims. But in far too many situations, those who witnessed grooming or other concerning behavior fail to report it. To make matters worse, their employers will do everything in their power to deny liability for what happened. The family of any child that is sexually abused by a therapist may be able to seek some measure of accountability and justice through a civil claim.
Investigating Orange County Child Sexual Abuse Claims
We at the Carrillo Law Firm were deeply concerned to hear about the horrific allegations against Salvador Arriaga. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to the police. There needs to be a thorough investigation into the potential scope of the misconduct and the possibility that there may be additional victims. It is deeply concerning that this person’s employer would allow him to conduct work duties in the context of his private home in the first place.
Has your child been sexually abused by a therapist in Orange County? You may have legal recourse. Our team of child sexual abuse attorneys is here to help in any way that we can. We are committed to helping survivors and holding perpetrators accountable for their misconduct. Whether you just have legal questions or are wondering how an attorney might be able to help with your particular situation, we are here to serve your needs. You can reach out to us anytime at 626-799-9375.
