Bay Area police underage sex scandal: Cities slapped with multi-million dollar claims

Jasmine-Abuslin-formerly-known-as-Celeste-Guap, Bay Area police underage sex scandal: Cities slapped with multi-million dollar claims, Local News & Views
When teenager Jasmine Abuslin first burst onto Bay Area front pages and prime time news, she was identified by her street name, Celeste Guap.

by Apollonia Jordan

Multiple Bay Area cities have been slapped with multi-million dollar claims for the abuse that took place in their back yards. Jasmine Abuslin, formerly known as Celeste Guap, has come back swinging with a fusillade of abuse, neglect and modern day sex slavery claims against Bay Area police officers.

According to ABC news, the City of San Francisco has been slapped with an $18 million claim and the City of Oakland with a $66 million claim from Jasmine, who had sexual encounters with a multitude of Bay Area police officers while underage.

A victim of sexual violence, Jasmine resulted to selling her body to these officers for money and for protection from going to jail for prostitution. The initial claim, filed by her attorney at the time, Pamela Price, states that specific officers “either directly engaged in, stood by with a blind eye or acted to cover up this modern day slavery.”

Many officers from other Bay Area cities have been involved with this scandal. The cities these officers patrol also risk being slapped with multi-million dollar claims.

These claims are the first step toward litigation; they serve to inform the cities involved. Next, the cities must respond to these massive claims and either accept or deny them.

Jasmine is on a mission to ensure that justice is served and that the officers involved in this sex scandal pay for what they did to her both physically and emotionally.

Jasmine is on a mission to ensure that justice is served and that the officers involved in this sex scandal pay for what they did to her both physically and emotionally.

Sexual abuse of a minor is a disgusting crime that is frowned upon and is should not be tolerated on any police force. This egregious behavior has been kept secret far too long, and it is time for victims to become victors and be compensated for their pain and suffering.

Jasmine has come back to the Bay Area and reinvented herself. She no longer works as a sex worker, is clean of drugs, and has begun her healing process. This healing process will be long and rigorous, but is what she needs to get her life back and regain her innocence.

Once this underage scandal hit, law enforcement agencies paid for Jasmine to be sent out of state in hopes to evade the statute of limitations requiring a sex victim to file criminal charges promptly against these officers. Jasmine’s lawyers were able to bring her back to the Bay Area just in time to get these officers charged.

Contra Costa County District Attorney Mark Peterson has refused to charge any of his officers with any wrongdoing. Instead, he announced that he will charge an 81-year-old retired police captain for engaging in paid sexual activities with the victim.

Officers from several Bay Area cities have been charged with sexual misconduct. Most of the those who have been reprimanded are retired police officers.

What about the officers who have engaged in this behavior who are still actively patrolling the streets and victimizing young girls? What about the young girl who is afraid to speak up about the abuse because the officer has brainwashed her to believe he is her friend and protecting her?

What about justice? What are we teaching other young victims of sex crimes? What this behavior teaches our children is that when a police officer commits a sex crime, it’s only sex, not a crime!

What this behavior teaches our children is that when a police officer commits a sex crime, it’s only sex, not a crime!

Many people have made negative comments about Jasmine for being a sex worker, but what they fail to realize is that a child who has been sexually molested is going to have mental and emotional problems throughout her adult life. Jasmine is a victim of sex trafficking by these officers. During many occurrences, she was underage.

Jasmine will need years of therapy and help to deal with the trauma of abuse these officers have bestowed upon her. They knew she was vulnerable and they took advantage of her youth and her fear of retaliation from officers, like being jailed for not cooperating with the commands of officers demanding sex.

Many young women out there are being raped and victimized by people in positions of power. We have to stand together and support these women! We have to force every officer to respect the bodies of our young women! We have to be the voice for our youth!

Many young women out there are being raped and victimized by people in positions of power. We have to force every officer to respect the bodies of our young women! We have to be the voice for our youth!

Jasmine is now being represented by civil rights attorney John Burris and plans to file more claims for monetary compensation for the lewd acts committed by these disgraceful police officers.

Bay Area journalist and longtime Bay View writer Apollonia Jordan can be reached at apollonia@sfbayview.com.