Somerset County Child Advocacy Center

06/08/2026

We are a little more than a month out from our 3rd Annual Every Child Matters Event! Please share this post to get the word out there. Completely free event for kiddos and their families.

06/05/2026

BRING YOUR BICYCLE! Officer Good will be reviewing bicycle safety and showing you how to make sure your bike is safe to ride!

05/07/2026

The end to a traumatic chapter for these brave children and their families. Justice has been served today. Bradley Lavan was sentenced to 60-120 years in prison, essentially a life sentence for him.

The CAC would like to give a huge shout out to the Somerset County District Attorney's Office for all the hard work and dedication that was done on this case so that these children and their families could have justice. Also, the Somerset Borough Detectives and Somerset County Children and Youth Services who worked tirelessly to investigate this case. A team approach is what we strive for so that these children and family can have all the professionals at the table advocating for them and bringing the offenders that hurt children to justice.

A former Somerset County 911 coordinator could spend the rest of his life behind bars after he was sentenced to serve decades in prison in connection to repeate

04/09/2026

People who groom often targets kids who feel isolated, offering constant attention and approval while pushing others away. That’s a warning sign, not a safe relationship.

We’re proud to partner with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) this month to help adults spot grooming early and keep kids safe.

Learn more, get resources, and share this with your network: https://www.nationalchildrensalliance.org/iyb/

04/08/2026

04/06/2026

What is a forensic interview??

Forensic interviews are neutral, fact-finding interviews for children and vulnerable populations with a trained professional who talks to kids in a way that is developmentally and age appropriate.

Our interviewers participated in trainings on evidence-based protocols and peer review to make sure the interviews are legally sound and that children are afforded a safe place to talk about what happened to them.

04/05/2026

According to the R**e, Abuse & In**st National Network (RAINN),

Nearly every minute, someone in the U.S. is s*xually assaulted. Every nine minutes, that someone is a child.

66% of victims under 18 are age 12-17.

1 in 9 girls and 1 in 20 boys under 18 experience s*xual abuse or assault.

04/04/2026

It is important to know and recognize that not just children can be groomed. Often time offenders make it a priority to also groom the adults around the child whether that be a parents, caregiver, or guardian.

04/03/2026

Offenders are crafty and patient. In order to gain the trust of the child, they can do the things listed below (as well as other things). The goal is to get the child to be bonded to the offender and lessen the chance that they will disclose the abuse when it happens.

Know the people around your child and pay attention to how your child is treated by others. Talk to your kiddos and always encourage them to trust their gut and if something feels off, it probably is.

04/02/2026

Since it is Child Abuse Prevention Month, it is important to reframe the idea of "stranger danger".

Although it's always possible for strangers to hurt children, it is far more likely, for children to be abused by someone they know. 93% of children are abused by someone they know (RAINN).

It is important to teach your children that there are safe strangers who are there to help them. It is also important to teach them that it doesn't matter WHO it is, it is always important for them to tell if someone does something to hurt them or make them uncomfortable.