Delegate C.T. Wilson is a proud army veteran, an attorney and loving father, accomplishments that define him. But it's the dark details of his past that he's using to illuminate a serious problem.
"I grew up in foster care as a little boy, and was finally placed in a home but I was adopted by a pedophile,” he said. “So from the ages of roughly nine to 16 I was sexually abused by my adoptive father."
He knows what it's like to feel broken, the pain and isolation adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse endure. It's the reason for the past three years he's backed legislation to extend the statute of limitations to sue a molester, or a school, church or team that enabled an abuser.
"This is not gonna solve any problems, this is not gonna undo anything that's been done, but it's allowing them that voice, and I know as a child that one of the biggest issues is having a voice, and nobody speaking up for your and you can't really speak up for yourself,” Wilson said.
Tuesday, Governor Larry Hogan signed the bill into law.
In Maryland, a criminal case of child sex abuse has no statute of limitations, but victims only had until they turned 25 to file a civil case and seek damages. This law extends that time frame by 13 years, so people now have until they are 38 years old to file a civil lawsuit.
Advocates for child sex abuse victims call the legislation a victory, saying many times survivors need to heal before they're able to come forward.
"It takes well into adulthood for many children to have an understanding that they've been victimized,” said executive director for the Baltimore Child Abuse Center, Adam Rosenberg. “What this does is opens that window up to be able to let them come to terms with this in the civil system when they're really ready and strong enough to do so."
Wilson tells us he hopes this helps people, and lets them know they're not alone.
"My goal was to just give those individuals a voice and just let them know, you know, we do care about you, we care about your suffering, we want to make sure that, you know, at least you have an opportunity," said Wilson.
The law takes effect on July 1.
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