California: A 26-year-old therapist accused of manipulating and raping a minor patient

A former mental health professional is facing serious legal charges in California. Sofia Drotts, 26, is accused of manipulating and raping a teenager in her care at a juvenile detention center, local authorities and the New York Post revealed .

A hold that began in a juvenile detention center

According to court documents and information reported by the New York Post , the accused worked as a behavioral health clinician at the John A. Davis Center for Minors, located in Martinez, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was in this capacity that she was assigned the psychological care of the young victim, who was 14 years old at the time.

The family's lawyer, John Burris, argues that Sofia Drotts took advantage of her position of authority during the teenager's two years of detention to establish an inappropriate relationship and engage in systematic grooming for the purpose of sexual abuse.

Repeated attacks after his release

Upon his release from the facility, the young man, then 17 years old, continued to see the therapist through the Contra Costa County Health Department. According to the prosecutor's office, the practitioner allegedly raped the minor multiple times between April 1 and July 14, 2026.

The case took a dramatic turn on July 14 when Concord police arrested the suspect following a tip-off from a probation officer. Sofia Drotts has since been released on bail pending her arraignment hearing in County Superior Court.

A flurry of charges and civil action

The prosecution has brought a series of particularly serious charges against the accused, including illegal sexual relations with a minor, sexual penetration by means of a foreign object, oral copulation on a minor, sending harmful content and possession of child pornography.

Alongside the criminal proceedings, the young man's family has launched civil proceedings against the county, denouncing dramatic oversight failures that allowed the therapist to act with impunity.

" We entrusted our son's recovery to this professional and that trust has been broken ," the victim's mother told the New York Post , calling on any other potential victims to come forward.