Shelter Addresses Allegations

Faced with increasingly negative publicity amid ongoing investigations into allegations of improper supervision, Casa Pacifica officials called a news conference Wednesday to detail their programs and assure the public they are working hard to correct any violations.

While administrators at the group home for troubled children acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations, they said some incidents are bound to occur because Casa Pacifica cares for some of the most troubled children in Ventura County. The facility is situated near Camarillo.

“Most other group homes will move these kids out. [But] we do not kick children out,” Executive Director Steve Elson said. “Because we are sticking with them, incidents happen.”

State records show that a 12-year-old boy living at the shelter forced a 9-year-old and a 3-year-old boy to engage in sex acts last month while supervisors were absent.

Regulators said earlier this week that at least two more allegations have surfaced at the 63-bed facility since then, prompting state officials to pursue license revocation proceedings.

But Elson said many allegations often prove unfounded upon closer scrutiny. “Anyone can make a complaint,” he said. “It can be bogus. It can be real. [State] licensing is required by law to investigate them.”

Elson and others declined to discuss the newest allegations, saying an investigation is incomplete.