Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

Background: I am in CA, 23F. I have been a part time nanny for a 14 and 11 year old for about a year. Recently I got a full time job and only pick up the 14 year old girl from ballet a couple times a week. I had not seen her over winter break and when I picked her up in early Jan, her parents found out she was contemplating suicide. They were getting her a counselor and sending her to church everyday of the week. I had know about her depression but did not know about her wanting to not live anymore. I had spoken with her parents before winter break about her mental health (depression, anxiety), they stated that they did not believe in therapists and the Lord would take care of everything.

I started picking up the girl more frequently in Jan. She started venting to me about wanting to have sex with a 15 year old boy that she had never met. She knew him through mutual friends. I told her about how bad this idea was but I allowed her to be open about her feelings because she couldn't talk to her parents about anything regarding sex. She didn't know basic anatomy of her own body or anything regarding the subject or anything at all really. She had asked me to take her to this boys house to have sex with him and I refused multiple times. One night I picked her up and she said she had to pick up her books from a friends house she was studying at. I took her and we waited in the parking lot until she said that the friend wasn't home. I took her home.

Today I get a call from her mother asking me if I knew about this boy and that her daughter wanted to have sex. I explained my side of everything. She stated she might take legal action against me for not telling her about this because they were underaged. They never had sex and the daughter is trying to twist me into everything so the mother blames me for it all. What type of legal action can the mother take against me, if any? Should I get a lawyer?


Asked on 2/16/19, 1:57 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Terry A. Nelson Nelson & Lawless

First: yes you should go consult with a local experienced criminal defense lawyer about your situation, because the parents CAN try to file charges without regard to the truth or the validity, they CAN lie to police about the facts.

Hopefully for your sake, the police or any attorney they talk to will understand that you did nothing wrong in listening to their daughter and attempts at counseling her.

But, that is my personal, not legal, opinion based upon your story, not knowing theirs and their daughter's. Listen to the advice of your attorney after he learns all the facts.

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Answered on 2/16/19, 2:17 pm


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