Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has issued a warning regarding the largest sexual abuse settlement in the nation’s history. According to Hochman, up to 81% of the claims filed in the $4 billion settlement could be fraudulent.
In a brief filed Thursday with a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge, the district attorney requested that all payments be suspended until Dec. 31, while a criminal investigation initiated in November of last year proceeds.
"The District Attorney’s Office believes the percentage of fraudulent claims in the related lawsuits seeking funds from this settlement may be as high as 81 percent," states the document viewed by The New York Post. Hochman emphasized that his intervention seeks to protect the true victims of abuse and preserve the integrity of the process.
"This intervention is critical to safeguarding the rights of the legitimate child abuse survivors, including preserving the integrity of the settlement process," he added.
The settlement, approved in April 2025, provides for the payment of more than 11,000 claims for sexual abuse that occurred primarily between the 1980s and 2000s in youth centers, foster homes, and the now-closed MacLaren Children’s Center in the county.
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