The mother of a California teen, who she says was raped by his juvenile hall therapist, reported that her son has run away from home and expressed fears he might be visiting the clinician, who is out on bail. The 17-year-old boy, who has not been publicly identified, allegedly believes his relationship with the therapist was consensual.
Sofia Drotts, 26, of San Francisco, faces felony charges including unlawful sexual intercourse. She was arrested two weeks prior to the reported disappearance of the teen for allegedly grooming and raping him while counseling him at a Contra Costa County juvenile hall. After her arrest, Drotts is accused of posing as the teen’s girlfriend and using a burner phone to maintain contact.
His mother stated that her son had been in contact with Drotts since his release in April and was on a video call with her at the moment of Drotts' arrest. The mother alleges that Drotts groomed the teen for over two years while posing as a concerned caregiver, eventually convincing the boy into a relationship. She described Drotts as professional and caring, making it difficult to discern the alleged abuse.
When confronted by his mother, the teen reportedly denied the allegations, asking if the relationship was consensual. He then left home and has not been seen by his family since, except for one instance when he returned to shower and remove his ankle monitor. He also missed a court date, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Drotts has pleaded not guilty to charges including sexual penetration by a foreign object, sending harmful matter to a minor, oral copulation of a person under 18, and possessing child pornography. Her attorney declined to comment. Investigators claim Drotts began grooming the boy in 2024 when he was 14 or 15 years old and serving a sentence at the juvenile hall. Court documents state that Drotts allegedly abused her position to establish an emotional connection and groom him for sexual abuse. Following his probation release, Drotts allegedly continued the relationship.
Civil attorneys representing the boy's family claim that county agents and supervisors failed to identify or address red flags, allowing the abuse to continue. "We’re very hopeful that a significant conviction occurs, to send a clear message to the to the young man that there’s this is not a love affair — no matter what your feelings are," said attorney John Burris, who is representing the family in a civil suit against Contra Costa County. "The young man is emotionally torn up over this."
According to her social media and a college publication, Drotts is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison and was pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. She identified herself as a Spanish speaker from Chicago. Drotts is scheduled to return to court in August, and the police investigation is ongoing. <!DOCTYPE html><html lang="en"><head><meta charset="UTF-8"><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"><title>Missing Teen Case</title></head><body><div><div><div><!-- Existing content --></div></div></div></body></html>