How Could You? Hall of Shame-Jessica Duff

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Raphine, Virginia, adoptive mother Jessica Duff, 44, “pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse charges in Augusta Circuit Court and was sentenced to five years in prison. The victim of the abuse was Duff’s adopted daughter.

From 2010 through 2018, Duff worked as a Family Services Specialist III with Shenandoah Valley Social Services. She investigated claims of child abuse during her tenure as a Child Protective Services employee. The charges she pleaded guilty to originated in 2017, while she was still an employee at SVSS.

According to court documents, Duff and her spouse took in the victim through foster care. The victim’s brother was also taken in by the Duffs. Shortly after the two were taken into foster care, Duff and her spouse adopted the pair.

The victim’s sexual abuse began shortly after the two were adopted. According to the Augusta County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office, the most “heinous” of the crimes was committed in Augusta County. In the court documents, the incident took place at Duff’s parent’s house.

The victim was 12 years old at the time of this incident. When the victim was adopted by Duff and her spouse, she was 8 years old.

Court documents described the sexual abuse against the victim as “pervasive.” According to evidence, the sexual abuse occurred in Staunton, Augusta County and parts of Florida. The family moved around during the sexual abuse period. The victim told no one about any of the sexual abuse until she watched a documentary about child sexual abuse in school. After that, she confronted Duff’s spouse and reported her years of sexual abuse. Duff’s spouse eventually made a CPS report and the investigation was sprung on Duff in 2023.

According to the court documents, once the victim had reported Duff’s sexual abuse, Duff proceeded to tell the victim that “she would kill herself if she told anyone.” Duff ceased her sexual abuse after this confrontation.

Duff and her legal team made many attempts to omit evidence used against her because she believed the victim fabricated the sexual abuse.

According to court documents, the victim had consensual sex with her high-school boyfriend numerous times in public and at home and was punished by her adoptive parents for it. Multiple times the victim was caught by Duff and/or her spouse and was either grounded or barred from seeing her boyfriend. The Augusta County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office described the relationship as “age-appropriate.”

All of Duff’s requests were denied.

In the court documents, the victim described Duff as “making it feel the two were ‘in love’ and that the actions were a secret between them.” Both the Staunton and Augusta County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s offices described the relationship between Duff and the victim as “grooming.”

In the courtroom, Duff offered no volunteer statement or remorse about the sexual abuse. When the sexual abuse started Duff was 38 and the victim was 8. The sexual abuse continued until they were 44 and 14 respectively.

Duff is also required to be on the Virginia Sex Offender registry and has a protective order against the victim.”

Former CPS employee pleads guilty to child sexual abuse
[WHSV 3/18/24 by Mike Staley]

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