By TRACY JOHNSON | The Seattle PI
Lawyers for eight kids who were abused by their foster dad filed multimillion-dollar claims against Seattle and Tacoma police departments Friday, alleging that both should have done more to ensure that the man was arrested before he could do more harm.
Tacoma lawyer Jack Connelly said neither department notified the state Department of Social and Health Services, as required by law, upon learning that a Washington man calling himself “fosterdad” was posting pornographic pictures of children on the Internet.
Connelly said the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children traced the pictures to Washington in September 2003 and told Seattle police, who he said were legally obligated to notify the state within 24 hours.
Instead, Seattle police determined that the man appeared to be from Pierce County and sent the information to police in Tacoma, who said they didn’t receive it until three months later, according to Connelly.
The foster dad, Ronald Young, wasn’t arrested until March 2004. By then, Connelly said, he had continued to sexually abuse the children — ages 5 to 12 — and even had more kids placed in his home.
Each of the children’s claims range between $2.5 million and $4 million against both departments.
Spokesmen for the police departments said Friday they would not comment on pending litigation.
Young is serving 26 years to life in prison.