Promising young therapist, 26, threw future away by grooming underage boy she met at juvenile hall... then sexually abusing him for three months after he was freed, cops say

By JOE HUTCHISON, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 13:41, 29 July 2026 | Updated: 13:42, 29 July 2026 A young female therapist with a promising career threw it all away by grooming then having unlawful sexual intercourse with an underage boy she first met while he was in juvenile hall, a civil lawsuit alleges.   Sofia Drotts, 26, is accused of targeting the now 17-year-old after she was brought in to help him during his detention at Contra Costa County juvenile hall in California from 2024 until April of this year.  The psychology major, who was pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology at Palo Alto University, should have been helping the boy but instead allegedly 'abused her position' over the course of two years to 'establish an inappropriate connection' with the teen. That's according to a lawsuit filed by the boy's parents against the county after the alleged abuse came to light this week, following her arrest on seven felony charges related to sex with a minor.  According to the civil suit, the Chicago native used the therapy sessions inside the secured facility to establish herself as the boy's girlfriend.  After the boy was released earlier this year, the suit claimed that Drotts continued meeting with healthcare professionals to discuss the boy's treatment while also conducting therapy sessions inside her car and inviting him to stay at her home, the lawsuit alleged. She is accused of having unlawful sex with the boy, who prosecutors say was 17-years-old at the time. The age of consent in California is 18.   Drotts, an award-winning student during her stint at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has yet to enter a plea in the criminal case with prosecutors yet to set an arraignment. Drotts, 26, is accused of targeting the now 17-year-old after she was brought in to help him during his detention at Contra Costa County juvenile hall According to a lawsuit, the Chicago native used the therapy sessions inside the secured facility to establish herself as the boy's girlfriend The criminal case has seen her charged with a number of felony counts including two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse and two counts of oral copulation of a person under 18.  Other charges include a charge of sexual penetration by a foreign object, two of sending harmful matter to a minor, and another of possessing child pornography.  According to the suit, filed against Contra Costa County, the alleged grooming dated back to 2024 when the boy was detained in the hall at the age of 15. No details of his crime have been shared.  The suit claimed that Drotts 'abused her position' in order to 'establish an inappropriate emotional connection' with the youngster.  It is claimed in the filing that she used his therapy sessions to 'establish herself as a friend and a girlfriend' to the boy instead of actually treating him, the suit said.  The suit continues that she abused her power and access to his records to 'further manipulate and coerce' the teenager.  'Drotts took advantage of her therapist-client relationship with [the boy] for her own gratification, instead of providing him with the mental healthcare he needed,' it added. The suit also said that the boy was 'locked inside John A. Davis Juvenile Hall with his abuser' and claimed that no supervisors noticed what was going on.  'As a result, Contra Costa County and the State utterly failed to protect [the boy], a child, from sexual abuse by an adult employed by the County,' it added.  The teenager was released from juvenile hall in April of this year and placed into the control of the county's probation department.  Drotts, an award-winning student during her stint at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has yet to enter a plea in the criminal case The suit claimed that Drotts 'abused her position' in order to 'establish an inappropriate emotional connection' with the youngster The suit said that Drotts continued her role as a therapist after his release while simultaneously 'having unlawful sexual conduct' with the boy.  It is claimed that while doing so, she was taking part in meetings with other professionals to discuss the boy's mental health as part of a 'wraparound care' program. 'These meetings allowed Drotts the opportunity to pull the strings of [the boy's] future outcomes and even his carceral status,' the suit added.  The suit also claimed that Drotts would hold therapy sessions with the teenager inside her own car and take him places. It is alleged the boy then started to stay at Drotts's home and that she encouraged him to miss school days and to ignore his curfew in order to meet with her, the suit said.  The suit said that in June of this year, officers with the Concord Police Department conducted a search of the boy's home.  During this search, which the suit claimed was carried out without a warrant, they seized his personal items, which led to Drotts' arrest, it was claimed.   According to the lawsuit, the boy was arrested but later released without charge. It claimed it was only after the search that Drotts' alleged conduct came under investigation.  A lawsuit claimed that Drotts was assigned to work with the boy while working inside Conta Costa County Juvenile Hall, pictured It remains unclear how Drotts' alleged wrongdoing came to light.   The suit added: 'The County failed to implement and enforce safety protocols and procedural safeguards to investigate red flags regarding the therapist-client relationship, and/or to file mandatory reports regarding the suspected abuse or client-therapist misconduct.'  The boy's mom Sage Moala said: 'We trusted these professionals with our son’s healing and that trust was betrayed and fundamentally shattered. Our focus is on our son's recovery and protection.' The family's attorney John Burris added: 'The therapist's conduct is deeply offensive.' Burris continued: 'This conduct violates every moral, legal and professional standard meant to protect vulnerable clients like [the boy] from professionals who exploit positions of trust for personal gain.' The suit claimed the boy suffered sexual and physical abuse, harassment, physical, mental and emotional distress as a result of the county's inaction. The lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $100,000. In a statement, Contra Costa Health said: 'Contra Costa Health (CCH) is aware of the claim filed against the County involving a former temporary employee and allegations involving a minor.  'Because this is an active legal and personnel matter, Contra Costa Health cannot provide additional comment at this time.' Lawyer information for Drotts was not available at the time of publication.