Latham, NY Sexual Abuse Attorneys

What Happened in Latham Wasn’t Your Fault. We’ll Help You Fight Back

Survivors of sexual abuse carry more than pain. They carry silence, doubt, and the weight of blame they should never have been asked to bear. If you were manipulated, violated, or exploited, online or in person, what happened to you wasn’t your fault. Not in Latham. Not anywhere. And now, you have the right to take back control.

At Horn Wright, LLP, our sexual abuse attorneys help people in Latham and across New York seek civil justice after abuse. Whether your experience involved sextortion, image-based abuse, or manipulation in a setting that should have been safe, we’re here to listen. When you're ready to take the next step, we’ll stand beside you, and we’ll fight.

Online Exploitation Is Real and It Can Be Legally Actionable

Abuse doesn’t always happen in person. Sometimes, the worst pain comes from a phone screen. We’ve worked with survivors who were targeted by someone they trusted, or by strangers using fake identities. Online sexual exploitation is real. And New York law treats it seriously.

Under New York Penal Law § 245.15, known as the Unlawful Dissemination of an Intimate Image statute, it’s illegal to share explicit material without someone’s consent. Federal law, including 18 U.S.C. § 2252, also criminalizes the coercion, distribution, and exploitation of images involving sexual content, especially when threats or deception are used.

And while criminal charges are one route, civil lawsuits offer survivors another powerful option for justice.

Image-Based Abuse and Sextortion

You may have a civil case if:

• Someone shared or posted intimate images of you without permission
• You were blackmailed into sending sexual content under threat
• You were deceived or manipulated into sexual communication by someone posing as another person

Even if the abuse happened online, the trauma is real, and the law allows you to take legal action.

What Rights Do Survivors Have in Latham?

The legal system gives you more than one way to fight back. Even if your abuser was never arrested, you can still bring a civil case against them. Civil courts focus on your pain, not the state's burden of proof. And that shift matters.

Under New York Civil Practice Law and Rules § 214, you can sue for assault, battery, emotional distress, and other harms caused by sexual abuse. If the abuse involved an organization that failed to intervene, like a school or employer, statutes may support claims of institutional negligence.

Civil cases are about what happened to you, not what prosecutors can prove. Your experience is enough to start the process.

Can You Still Sue Even If It Happened Years Ago?

Yes. The timeline for filing a lawsuit has changed dramatically in recent years. Lawmakers now recognize that many survivors need time to process trauma before coming forward. You may still have a case.

Thanks to the Child Victims Act, survivors who were abused as children have until their 55th birthday to sue. That extension is written into CPLR § 214-g. And while the Adult Survivors Act opened a one-year window for adult survivors to file long-expired claims (which closed in 2023), many other options remain.

New York law also allows for delayed discovery exceptions under CPLR § 208, especially when mental illness or coercion made earlier action impossible. If you’re unsure about where your case stands, we’ll help you figure it out.

Who Can Be Held Financially and Legally Responsible?

Sometimes it's one person. Other times, it's a whole system that failed to step in. New York civil law allows you to sue individuals, organizations, and even digital platforms in certain situations, depending on who was responsible, and who looked away.

For example, schools, employers, and care-based programs that allowed abuse to occur may be held liable for negligence.  This could apply to a company, institution, or even a property owner.

We examine:

• Whether a person in authority misused their power
• If prior complaints or red flags were ignored
• Whether safety protocols were ignored or bypassed

Our legal team builds your case based on every failure that led to your trauma—not just the one act itself.

What the Process Looks Like After You Call

The hardest step is often the first one, reaching out. But once you do, the process doesn’t have to be overwhelming. We handle the legal complexity so you can focus on healing. And we never move forward unless you’re ready.

Civil cases can be filed confidentially in many situations, especially involving sexual abuse. You don’t have to testify unless you want to. And you’re not expected to relive everything in painful detail.

From Intake to Case Filing

Here’s what happens after you contact us:

• We meet with you confidentially to learn about what happened
• Our attorneys gather details, evidence, and review timelines
• If appropriate, we prepare and file a civil complaint in court
• Discovery begins, we gather documents, communications, and more
• The case may settle or go to trial depending on your needs and the institution’s response

Throughout it all, we keep you informed. You choose your level of involvement. We never push, we protect.

The Types of Compensation You May Be Entitled To

No amount of money can erase the trauma of abuse. But compensation can help you rebuild. It can pay for therapy, recover lost income, and provide the financial support you need to move forward.

Civil courts in New York allow you to recover:

• Mental health treatment costs, including long-term therapy
• Lost wages or reduced earning potential from emotional or career setbacks
• Emotional distress damages tied to depression, anxiety, or PTSD

In some cases, punitive damages may be available. These are awarded to punish especially egregious conduct, such as when an institution ignored repeated warnings. Under Civil Rights Law § 79-n, courts may increase damages when abuse occurs in protected settings like schools, care homes, or workplaces.

We work closely with therapists, financial experts, and medical professionals to fully document your damages.

Local Support and Mental Health Resources in Latham

You don’t have to walk this path alone. There are trusted professionals and organizations in the Latham area who work with survivors every day. They’ll listen without judgment. They’ll support your recovery, even if you’re not ready to pursue legal action.

Available Therapists and Hotline Options

Here are some of the most accessible and reliable resources for Latham residents:

• Albany County Crime Victim and Sexual Violence Center – Free trauma counseling, survivor advocacy, and referrals
• Crisis Text Line – Text HOME to 741741 to chat with a trained counselor anytime, 24/7
• NYS Sexual Violence Hotline – Call 800-942-6906 for support from trained advocates in New York State

We also work with a network of licensed trauma-focused therapists throughout Latham and Albany County. If you need someone experienced in this type of healing, we’ll connect you.

Why Latham Survivors Choose Horn Wright, LLP

You didn’t ask for this to happen. But you do have a choice in how you respond. And when you choose Horn Wright, LLP, you’re choosing a team that treats you with dignity, not just as a case.

We don’t just take statements, we listen. We don’t just file lawsuits, we fight to change how institutions treat survivors. Our local sexual abuse attorneys know what it takes to hold people accountable, from individuals to entire systems.

If you’re ready to take that first step, you don’t have to do it alone. And if you're looking for a law firm with national recognition for civil abuse litigation, you can work with a top-ranked legal advocate for survivors who knows the courts, the process, and the power of your voice.