TUCSON (KVOA) - There are breaking news developments in a story the News 4 Tucson Investigators have been looking into for nearly six years.
A Cochise County man, who is serving time in prison for unspeakable acts involving kids, is now being sued by another one of his alleged victims.
The News 4 Tucson Investigators first told you about David Frodsham back in 2016.
Frodsham, a civilian who held sensitive positions with the U.S. Army, was arrested for sex crimes involving his foster children, and as part of an investigation into a global kiddie porn ring.
Two of Frodsham's adopted children have already filed civil lawsuits.
Now, a third is seeking justice not only against the man who abused him, but also against the state for allowing it to happen in the first place.
"Department of Child Safety is really a scandal in this state," said Tucson attorney Lynne M. Cadigan, who represents the 19-year-old victim who has filed the most recent case.
News 4 Tucson will not name the teen because of the nature of the crimes to which he was subjected a child.
"It was severe sexual abuse; it was beating, and what people don't realize, it's the emotional abuse that's almost as damaging," Cadigan said.
Cadigan said they abuse happened at the hands of David Frodsham, who is now serving prison time after being convicted on multiple count of sexual conduct with a minor.
One of Frodsham's adopted sons is now taking him to court.
"He's had the bravery to come forward, file a complaint against his adoptive parents and he's also filing a complaint against the Department of Child Safety," Cadigan said.
The lawsuit filed this week by Cadigan claims DCS case workers missed or overlooked numerous red flags that Frodsham and his wife were not fit to be foster parents.
"Why did the Department of Child Safety place children in the home of pedophile; in the home of a woman who beat the children?" Cadigan asked. "Why did they do that? Why did they leave the children there?"
Cadigan says DCS and other child welfare agencies involved in previous cases she has filed have claimed immunity, saying they are not legally responsible for the abuse.
"So, who's responsible?" she said. "If the Department of Child Safety can pull a child out, put them in a home, and then claim it's not our job - whose job is it?"
The News 4 Tucson Investigators reached out to DCS for comment. They sent us the following statement:
"In regards to the Frodsham case, we would like to highlight how the Department of Child Safety screens potential foster and adoptive parents.
The safety of children is our top priority.
As a result, the Department requires potential foster placements to undergo a thorough vetting process before issuing a foster license.
This process includes full background checks, a central registry check for prior DCS history, a fingerprint clearance card issued from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, home inspections, reference checks, and licensing classes through a provider agency.
Licensed foster placements receive quarterly home visits from their licensing agencies in addition to monthly DCS visits.
As an added oversight, the court must approve out-of-home placements. Also through the court, foster placements are scrutinized by the biological parents’ attorneys, the children’s attorneys, the Guardian Ad Litem, which is an attorney who works in the best interest of the children, the Foster Care Review Board and the judge.
Despite all of these safeguards, people are sometimes able to avoid detection, especially if a person has no prior criminal or child abuse history."
If you have something you would like us to look into, email us at investigators@kvoa.com or call the News 4 Tucson Investigators tip-line at 520-955-4444.
