County Settles Suit With Former Explorer Scout

The City Council voted Wednesday to pay $1.4 million to settle a lawsuit by a former LAPD Explorer Scout who alleged she was sexually abused by a police officer at the Northeast station, the first major payout from a scandal that rocked the station in 1998.

Pearl Dunlap alleged John Rosales, who was an LAPD Youth Services Officer, “took advantage of his authority and control as a law enforcement officer and unlawfully seduced, sexually abused, assaulted, battered and falsely imprisoned” her.

Dunlap said she was 17 years old in 1995 when Rosales allegedly began using threats of violence to cause her to perform sex acts with him, according to the lawsuit.

The city of Los Angeles was accused in the lawsuit of failing to exercise proper supervision over Rosales and the Explorer Scout program.

“It is very, very difficult to have to see taxpayer dollars spent this way for the most egregious kind of behavior by a police officer,” said Councilwoman Laura Chick.

Rosales is no longer with the department, LAPD officials said Wednesday. The department refused to discuss whether he was disciplined over the allegations.

Last year, Police Chief Bernard Parks said an investigation had uncovered 95 allegations of misconduct involving eight LAPD officers involved with the Explorer program at the Northeast station.

About 80 of the allegations concerned Rosales, officials said at the time, with other officers facing misconduct allegations including the failure to properly supervise the Explorer program.