A Call for Witnesses: Survivors of Abuser and Former Washougal School District Bus Driver and Clark County Foster Parent Bob Gouin
PCVA is seeking information about convicted child sexual abuser, Bob Gouin. Gouin was a former licensed foster parent in the Clark County area and a bus driver for the Washougal School District.
Bob Gouin was a licensed foster parent to several dozen foster children between 1985 – 1988 where he used his authority and power in a parent/child relationship to sexually abuse children for years. In 1988 he was arrested with 13 charges of child sexual assault from several different survivors of his care. Recently, additional survivors have come forward after coping for years with the trauma that Bob Gouin instilled in them as children.
PCVA is currently investigating the allegations against Bob Gouin. If you or someone you know has any information that could help in these efforts, please contact us.
This article provides frequently asked questions about Gouin, child sexual abuse, and how PCVA’s experienced sexual abuse lawyers can help.
What are the allegations against Bob Gouin?
It is known that Bob Gouin is a child rapist and molester. Our clients, 5 survivors, have come forward to address the sexual abuse Gouin perpetrated on them as children in the 1980s. Some survivors of child sexual abuse wait several years to face their trauma and it may take even longer for them to gather the ability to seek justice.
Did Bob Gouin sexually abuse other victims?
Bob Gouin is a serial child sexual abuser and was charged with 13 counts of rape and molestation in 1988 during his time as a foster parent in the 1980s. PCVA is working with five survivors who have come forward in 2024 to file claims against him. Based on criminal records, we believe Gouin abused at least one additional foster child, if not more.
A 1988 news article reported about Gouin’s 13 counts of child rape and molestation included that police thought there were potentially other victims that Bob Gouin abused. We are currently at a total of 5 individuals who want to seek justice against Bob Gouin.
If you or someone you know claims to be a victim of Bob Gouin’s, please schedule a no-obligation consultation with one of our lawyers here.
How did Bob Gouin abuse his victims without raising suspicion?
Unfortunately, Bob Gouin abused his victims through coercion, manipulation, and his influential power as a foster parent. These children were often put into the system due to being neglected or abused by their birth parents and looked at Bob and his wife as people to trust. Many survivors thought they could trust Gouin, up until the sexual abuse began.
Gouin would isolate a child and abuse them in a private setting. There were few times when he would abuse a foster child while other foster children slept nearby. Gouin would often take children camping and abuse them or take a child on a ride and stop in various private locations to abuse them such as an empty parking lot or on the side of the road. Gouin would use alcohol and drugs to intoxicate his victims before abusing them. Gouin rarely abused children in their bedrooms but would sometimes abuse them in his and his wife’s room.
When suspicion arose, and police started questioning the children whether Gouin was abusing them, Gouin strictly told his foster children to lie because if the children did not lie Gouin would lose his license to be a foster parent. These children were incredibly impressionable and even while experiencing sexual abuse, these children did not want to see Gouin lose his foster parent license.
Did anyone suspect Bob Gouin to be a danger to children?
Prior to and during the perpetrator’s sexual abuse of our client, DSHS and Clark County received reports of Gouin’s sexual misconduct and abuse. However, DSHS and Clark County failed to initially investigate complaints of abuse or neglect at the Gouin foster home and to ensure the foster home was safe for children considering the reported acts of abuse and neglect. As a result, the perpetrator sexually abused our clients and other children at the foster home, and the claimant and other children were sexually abused by him until about 1988 when additional reports of sexual abuse were made.
It is unsure if Gouin’s wife or an elderly woman who would often answer phone calls while Gouin was sexually assaulting children upstairs knew that Bob was abusing children. Gouin’s wife, Karen Gouin-Daskin, divorced him while he was in jail.
How can sexual abuse impact its victims?
Even if there is no outward injury to the body, sexual abuse of a child can have serious psychological effects.
The effects of sexual violence can include:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Flashbacks
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Dissociation
- Panic attacks
- Substance abuse
- Disordered sleep
- Sexual dysfunction
These are serious issues that can harm a person’s ability to work, study, maintain relationships, and enjoy their lives. Treatment for sexual abuse-related damage can take a long time and become very expensive.
What are the long-term impacts of child sexual abuse?
In adults who have experienced abuse, the issues noted above may take a lasting physical toll as well, contributing to conditions like:
- Diabetes
- Gastrointestinal issues
- Arthritis
- Headaches
- Gynecological problems
- Stroke and heart disease
- Hepatitis
How much do you charge?
Our work is done on a contingency basis. This means that you do not pay us on an hourly basis, and we advance the costs of litigation. If we help you resolve your case, we receive a percentage of the amount you receive, and you reimburse us for the costs we advanced on your behalf.
Our Case Results
PCVA has a lengthy history of pursuing damages from religious institutions that employed individuals who abused their positions of authority to sexually assault others. This includes cases involving the Catholic Church and the Church of Latter-day Saints. See below for links to some of our case results involving educational institutions, sports teams and other organizations. You can also see more of our results here.
$16.95M Settlement in Landmark Child Abuse Case Against Washington State
$9.35M Settlement for Foster Care Child Sexual Abuse Case Against Washington State
$3.9M Settlement for a Child Sexual Abuse Case Against the Tahoma School District
$3M Settlement in Coach Sexual Abuse Case Against Seattle Public Schools
$2.425M Settlement in Teacher/Coach/Athletic Director Sexual Abuse Case
$2.25M Settlement for Sexual Abuse at Rainier School
$2.05M Settlement for Sexual Abuse Against Spokane School District
See a more detailed list on our Case Results page.