Nine more individuals have filed a lawsuit against Clark County, alleging they were victims of sexual abuse and exploitation while held as minors at the Clark County Juvenile Justice Center. These new claims bring the total number of alleged victims to 17, following a separate lawsuit filed by eight others in February.

According to reporting by KOIN, the lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Clark County Superior Court. The nine plaintiffs were between the ages of 12 and 17 at the time of the alleged incidents. The allegations involve both male and female staff at the county-run facility and span several decades, with the new group of claimants alleging abuse occurred between 1983 and 2014.

The legal filings describe systemic failures to protect children in county custody. Allegations include guards using their authority to force sex acts, grooming behaviors, and physical assault in secluded areas of the facility. One claimant, who was 12 years old in 1983, described a guard who wore cowboy boots and tight pants and provided cigarettes and candy before escalating to sexual exploitation.

Other accounts in the filing identify specific staff by name or description. One individual alleged that two guards, identified in the lawsuit as Bill Blue and Castleberry, sexually assaulted him and threatened his family to ensure his silence. Another plaintiff alleged he was groomed and raped by a female guard identified as Vanessa between 2008 and 2014. The claimant stated that after he attempted to report the abuse to a parole officer or social worker, the guard threatened him with further physical violence.

The plaintiffs are represented by the Vancouver-based law firm Schauermann Thayer. A spokesperson for Clark County stated that the county does not comment on pending litigation.