Child Sexual Abuse Expert Witnesses

Child sexual abuse expert witnesses and consultants listed here may be able to form expert opinions, draft expert witness reports, provide expert witness testimony at deposition and/or trial as or serve as consulting (non-testifying) experts on child sexual abuse. The child sexual abuse expert witness listings on this page are typically from fields/areas of expertise such as: Behavioral and Social Sciences, Child Abuse, Education & Schools, Forensic Psychology, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Pediatrics, Premises Liability, Psychiatry, Psychology, and School Safety.

Dr. Charla C Watkins, DNP, APRN

Trauma, sexual assault, child abuse, psychiatry

Watkins Family Health & Counseling

Fayetteville, Arkansas
Psychiatry, Child Abuse - Child sexual abuse, medical malpractice psychiatry, depression, urgent care cases, sexual assault, forensic consultant, bipolar, family practice, Trauma, Sexual assault nurse examiner, betrayal trauma, university sexual assault cases, Psychotherapy, medication management, EMDR, physical abuse
Dr. Charla Watkins is a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Psychiatric Mental Health. She is also a Family Nurse Practitioner and a Forensic Nurse Examiner who has conducted approximately 2,000 sexual assault exams of children, adolescents and adults and conducted 1,500 forensic interviews. Dr. Watkins is an experienced clinician and expert witness. She earned her doctorate at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tennessee and her doctoral research is in human sex trafficking. Dr. Watkins is passionate about patient care, forensic case work. She has a private practice in Fayetteville, Arkansas where she specializes in trauma therapy, depression, anxiety, abuse cases, bipolar illness, grief, betrayal trauma and medication management for psychiatry patients across the lifespan. Dr. Watkins has experience in working medical malpractice cases, case consultation and expert testimony. She focuses on being a neutral objective fact finder and keys in on truth and facts i...

Diane Cranley

Diane Cranley Consulting

Laguna Niguel, California
Child Abuse, School Safety - child sexual abuse, sexual assault, molestation, grooming, sexual misconduct, educator misconduct, Title IX sexual harassment, child sexual abuse prevention, best practices, boundary violations, boundary policies, mandated reporter, failure to report, school, after school, sports, reporting
I am an expert in child sexual abuse prevention in youth-serving organizations. While organizations may not be able to stop every case of child sexual abuse within their programs, there are best practices that when followed, significantly lower the risk of abuse occurring and minimize delays in reporting. I can help by: • Identifying and evaluating valuable discovery materials including an organization’s policies, practices, documentation, and training • Assessing the strengths and weaknesses of your case by comparing those organizational materials to best practices to identify the gaps • Differentiating the failure of individual mandated reporters versus organizational failures based on that gap analysis and case materials • Identifying grooming behaviors that are cause for reasonable suspicion and reporting • Supplying best practices and relevant research to substantiate my opinion as it relates to your case • Educating the judge and jurors on grooming behaviors and boundaries ...

April Gould, Ph.D., M.A., M.P.H

Expert Criminologist - terrorism, hate crimes, DV

Park Dietz & Associates | Threat Assessment Group

Newport Beach, California
Behavioral and Social Sciences, Child Abuse - terrorism, hate crimes, political violence, intimate partner violence, cults, forensic interviewing, bullying, radicalization, child sexual abuse, risk assessment, child abduction and murder, threat assessment, grievances, domestic violence, mass shootings, school violence, suicide
Dr. April Gould is an expert on radicalization, extremism, ideological- and hate-motivated violence, and collective violence. This expertise derives from both her academic research and her personal experience interviewing and analyzing hard-to-reach and violent criminal populations. She is qualified to testify as an expert in cases in which individuals have been radicalized online or through group involvement and have acted on behalf of personal or collective grievances. She would effectively investigate, locate, and interview people who prefer to remain off the grid. Dr. Gould’s experience includes forensic interviewing, qualitative and quantitative research, and academic publishing involving over 9,500 cases involved in criminal and civil litigation. Dr. Gould has interviewed current and former terrorists, AB109 parolees, members of law enforcement, gang members, and victims of child abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence. She has taught courses on violence risk assessment...

Donna L. Peters, Psy.D.

Donna Peters, Psy.D., PC

Denver, Colorado
Forensic Psychology, Psychology - Intimate Partner Violence (Domestic Violence), Rape and Sexual Assault, Adult Consequences of Childhood Sexual/Physical/Psychological Abuse, Child Sexual Abuse, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Related Traumatic Sequelae, Complex Trauma and Complex PTSD, Campus Sexual Assault and Title IX
In her forensic psychology practice, Dr. Peters conducts comprehensive forensic psychological evaluations, provides attorney consultations, and serves as an expert witness in the areas of intimate partner violence (domestic violence), adult survivors of childhood sexual/physical/psychological abuse, rape and sexual assault, child abuse, child pornography, alcohol and memory, emotional distress and traumatic stress disorders. Dr. Peters’ findings and opinions are objective as she consults in matters for both criminal defense and prosecution, as well as both plaintiff and defense in civil matters. Dr. Peters is frequently consulted on criminal, civil, military court martial, and Federal immigration cases involving the multiple and varied psychological and traumatic effects of the various types of interpersonal violence and traumatic experiences. Dr. Peters has 20 years of clinical/forensic experience with diverse populations in various settings to include: U.S. Navy/Marine Corps-F...

Michael K. Davis, MD, MBA

Gainesville, Florida
Pediatrics, Pediatric Gastroenterology - child abuse, malpractice, neglect, child sexual abuse, gastroenterology, hepatology, liver, infants, newborns, missed diagnosis, respiratory, disease, infection, weight loss, malnutrition
I am a board-certified general pediatrician, pediatric gastroenterologist, and pediatric hepatologist (liver disease) at a large state university in excellent standing. I am willing to serve as an expert witness to advocate for high-quality and safe medical care for children and their families. Most of my reviews have focused on protecting the rights of patients and families but I will consider all types of reviews. I have been in active practice for over 20 years and have never been the subject of any legal action. I have expertise in outpatient and inpatient pediatrics, missed diagnoses, child abuse, gastrointestinal disease, liver disease, respiratory disease, and infant care. With my MBA training I am also familiar with hospital and clinic processes. Rapid turn-around on case reviews and medical research. Call, text, or email for free 15-minute screening phone/Zoom consultation.

R. Leslie Nichols, MSSA, CPP, CSC

Child Sexual Abuse Expert - Schools & Organization

R.L. Nichols & Associates, LLC

Oxford, Mississippi
School Safety, Premises Liability - sex abuse, child sexual abuse, molestation, grooming, harassment, bullying, school, church, camp, bus, afterschool, sports, olympic, mentor, scouting, coach, background check, negligent hiring, negligent supervision, negligent retention
Mr. Nichols has over 30 years’ experience at the national and local level involving the protection of children. Since 2016, he has served as an expert witness for plaintiff or defense in cases involving sex abuse and other types of harm to youth in schools, churches, camps, sports, buses, mentoring, scouting and afterschool programs. Examples from past cases include: • Afterschool program director molests teen girl • Scoutmaster molests boy • Adult mentor molests boy • Female school counselor molests boy • School assistant molests special needs girl • Karate club coach molests multiple teen girls • Swimming coach molests teen girl • High school golf instructor molests female student • Volunteer youth baseball coach molests multiple boys • Tennis instructor molests young girls • Male students molest special needs girl during school • Male student molests special needs girl on institutional van • School bus supervisor molests boy on bus • Boy molests girl on church van • Church volun...

David Wolowitz, J.D.

Wolowitz JD Consulting LLC

Greenland, New Hampshire
Education & Schools, School Safety - School standard of care, educator misconduct, educator sexual abuse, coaching misconduct, trusted adult misconduct, molestation, child sexual abuse, grooming, boundary violations, school investigations, student misconduct, negligent supervision, harassment, bullying, hazing, discrimination, Title IX
David Wolowitz, J.D., serves as an expert witness on the standard of care for schools and other youth-serving organizations to safeguard children from misconduct by trusted adults. He has been retained by plaintiffs and defendants on matters throughout the country in over a dozen states both a consulting and a testifying expert. In addition to being retained for current matters, Mr. Wolowitz can testify on the evolution of the standard of care for child safeguarding over the past decades. He has followed social science research and literature about the prevention of and response to child sexual abuse since the 1970s. He has been retained for multiple matters involving historical abuse claims dating back to the 1970s and 1980s. Mr. Wolowitz has served as an expert in cases around the country involving current and past school standards of care for protecting the health and safety of students, as well as the adequacy of school policies, training, and investigations. He is knowledge...

Michael Salitore, Ed.D.

Gresham, Oregon
Education & Schools, School Safety - School Standards of Practice, Special Education, School Safety, Child Abuse, Child Sexual Abuse, Behavior and Discipline, School Mental Health, Title IX and Staff Sexual Misconduct, District and School Administration, Restraint and Seclusion, Evaluation, Assessment, Disability, and Risk Management
Dr. Michael Salitore is an experienced educator serving in public education since 2003. I currently work at the Oregon Department of Education as a coordinator of an investigation unit responding to complaints of sexual misconduct of school staff. I have worked as a school psychologist, assistant principal, special education administrator, director of student services for rural and urban school districts, and adjunct faculty at Clackamas Community College and Portland State University. My background and expertise allow evaluation of and opinions regarding school and district: -Policies, procedures, guidelines, and implementation of standards and practices; -Recruitment, qualifications, hiring, and retention of teachers, specialists, and staff; -Training programs and requirements of teachers, specialists, and staff; -Duty for schools and school districts to provide a safe learning environment; -School administration, including governance, curriculum, interventions and instructiona...