A last-minute bill proposed in the Maryland General Assembly may soon establish a filing deadline for child sex abuse claims against the state, potentially limiting lawsuits under the Child Victims Act of 2023.
In an exclusive interview with Spotlight on Maryland on Wednesday, Del. C.T. Wilson, a Charles County Democrat, said he is refocusing a law that holds personal significance to him as a child sex abuse survivor.
“It wasn’t supposed to be a financial windfall, but the lawyers have gotten involved,” Wilson said. “They were not here for the ten years I was fighting for these victims. They weren’t here helping out.”
Wilson’s proposed changes to the Child Victims Act come after Spotlight on Maryland first reported a month ago that the state is privately negotiating settlements for over 4,000 child sex abuse cases. Estimates put potential costs to taxpayers and government insurers between $3.5 and $7 billion.
The Child Victims Act removed the statute of limitations for living Marylanders who experienced incidents of sexual misconduct that occurred while they were underage. This 2023 law did not establish a deadline for filing claims against defendants, private institutions, local municipalities, or the state government.
“It was legislation that was brought to me on the last day of filing,” Wilson said. “I knew I wanted to do something. Of course, after all my fighting to keep the statute of limitations, to get rid of it, I’m not going to put a time limit on the filing, even for the government.”
Despite Wilson’s explanation, the new legislation’s language does establish a time limit for filing child sex claims against the state government. Dubbed the Child Sexual Abuse Claims Against the State – Time Limitation, the bill would set a deadline of Jan. 1, 2026, for victims to initiate lawsuits against the state. However, the legislation does not include any provisions for lawsuits against non-state institutions.
Wilson introduced his bill on the House floor last Friday. The lawmaker said he also aims to establish a victims’ fund. Wilson was asked why this proposal was not included in the bill’s initial draft.
“[T]hat’s the idea that I’m going to put forth,” Wilson said. “Again, these are just mere talking points because sometimes, especially in light of running [the House Economic Matters] committee, I didn’t have the time to do the work on this.”
“It became a big issue very quickly,” Wilson added.
Spotlight on Maryland was the first to report that the state could face billions in child sex abuse claims against state institutions serving children, including the Maryland Departments of Juvenile Services, Social Services, and Corrections. Wilson said in mid-January that his bill was never intended to bankrupt the state, emphasizing that a line needed to be drawn in the sand.
In Wednesday’s interview, Wilson said he is the legislator who will change his bill.
“[T]he legislation was brought to my attention from other individuals, basically the leadership was asking for something to resolve this issue,” Wilson said. “It was no one specific; it was conversations between myself, the speaker, the governor’s staff.”
Spotlight on Maryland sent questions regarding Wilson’s bill and comments to the offices of Gov. Wes Moore, Senate President Bill Ferguson, and Speaker Adrienne Jones, all Democrats. The questions included who collaborated with Wilson on drafting the deadline proposal and whether the officeholder believed the state should settle pending cases against Maryland agencies.
Only a spokesperson for Jones acknowledged receipt of the questions sent.
On the same day that Wilson introduced his amendments to the Child Victims Act, attorneys representing more than 4,000 cases of alleged child sex abuse were unable to reach a settlement agreement with Maryland officials, according to an email exchange obtained by Spotlight on Maryland.
“I wish I had better news to report,” wrote an attorney last Friday, who Spotlight on Maryland is not identifying. “As well, they clearly have as their driving motive for the deal to not get done in hopes they will be defending the actions.”
Spotlight on Maryland asked Wilson whether the state should settle the thousands of possible claims that may total billions of dollars, which taxpayers and the state’s insurance carrier would have to pay. This amount is not included in the projected state budget deficit, estimated at $3 billion.
“I would say no,” Wilson said. “I know I don’t have the budget strings, and I know the [Attorney General] only has so many attorneys, but each of the cases, if they have 3,500 cases, great, let’s go through each one and find out what, where, when, and who.”
The lawmaker added that the Child Victims Act was originally designed to raise public awareness of potential predators.
“It is very important to know who the abuser was. They might still be alive,” Wilson said. “They might still be out there. They might still be working.”
“Let’s go through each case because that’s the goal to expose this cancer at its root, not to settle and get it out of the way, sweep it under the rug,” Wilson added.
The bill’s sole sponsor said that Marylanders should understand the first draft is the beginning of the legislative process.
“I will be very clear that it’s not the intent to put a time limit after putting in all this work to not have a time limit,” Wilson said. “I know it’s ironic, I got you. I had to get something with a Child Victims Act in it and that’s what we got.”
Spotlight on Maryland reached out to multiple attorneys on Thursday representing alleged child sex abuse victims in cases against the state. Comment requests were either declined or not returned.
Wilson’s bill is scheduled for its initial committee hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 1 p.m.
Spotlight on Maryland is a joint venture by FOX45 News and The Baltimore Sun. Have a news tip? Contact Gary Collins at gmcollins@sbgtv.com, and x.com/https://x.com/realgarycollins.