A Los Gatos man claims he was forced into life as a child sex slave by his adoptive parents.
Denis Flynn is now suing the couple for damages. The Los Gatos couple who adopted him also face criminal charges for years of alleged sexual abuse.
The 23-year-old Denis Flynn on Wednesday described what he called his "nightmare" childhood. At age 9, Denis Flynn was taken from a Russian orphanage and adopted by Ralph Flynn, a marketing executive, and his wife, Carolyn Flynn, a high-tech executive.
Denis Flynn said life at the Los Gatos home of his adoptive parents turned into years of constant, outrageous, grotesque and painful acts of sexual abuse. The alleged abuse is also described in the lawsuit.
"It started once, maybe three times a month to almost every day," Denis Flynn said.
The alleged abuse eventually led to two investigations by the Sheriff's Office. His parents in January were charged with 44 criminal counts and have since pleaded not guilty.
Ralph and Carolyn Flynn have also put their home up for sale, which means Denis Flynn is seeking personal justice and millions of dollars in damages.
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"There's no settlement or offer they can make that would be worthwhile," said Dick Alexander, an attorney representing Denis Flynn. "We're going to take every penny that they own."
The civil lawsuit will have to wait until the criminal case goes forward.
"They told me what they did was 'right,' what they did was 'out of love,' and I had to relearn what 'love' really is," Denis Flynn said.
Carolyn Flynn is free on bail and Ralph Flynn, who declined a request for comment, is being held on $2.5 million bail.
