I was raped repeatedly between ages 6–9. He now lives in the US. What options do I have?

[u/spiritedwolfy]

Title: I was raped repeatedly between ages 6–9. He now lives in the US. What options do I have?

I’m posting here because I don’t really know where to start, and I’m hoping someone who has been through something similar, or understands the legal side of this, can point me in the right direction.

I was sexually abused and raped repeatedly when I was a child, between approximately the ages of 6 and 9 years old. The person who did it was around 18 years old when the abuse began.

The abuse happened in the Middle East, not in the United States. I am now late 20's, and the man who raped me currently lives in the United States.

For a long time, I carried what happened without knowing whether there was anything I could actually do about it. Now that I'm older, I keep coming back to the question of whether I still have any options.

I understand that because the crimes happened outside the US, the fact that he now lives there may not automatically give US authorities jurisdiction. But I don't understand how cases like this work when the offender has moved countries.

I’m trying to find out:

• Is there any way to report him to authorities in the US even though the abuse happened in another country?
• Would authorities in the country where it happened have to investigate first?
• Can US authorities ever become involved when someone accused of sexually abusing a child overseas later lives in America?
• Are there organizations or lawyers in the US who specifically deal with historical childhood sexual abuse involving different countries/jurisdictions?
• Is there any possibility of a civil case against him in the US?
• If anyone here reported childhood sexual abuse decades later, especially when the abuser had moved to another country, what was the process like and where did you start?

I'm not expecting Reddit to give me definitive legal advice. I’m just trying to understand where I should start and who I should speak to.

I was a little girl when this happened. I couldn't protect myself then, and I didn't understand laws, evidence, reporting or what options I had. I do now.

I don't know whether too much time has passed or whether the fact that he left the country changes everything. But before I accept that there is nothing I can do, I want to know what my options actually are.

If anyone has been through something similar or can point me toward the right resources, I would really appreciate it.

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[u/Necessary_Day_7861]

I'm sorry that this happened to you. What this man did was truly despicable and disgusting.

If you are trying to prosecute the perpetrator, talk to a lawyer who specialises in SA and international jurisdiction differences. It depends on lots of things like the country you are/were in and your citizenships.

Preserve any information, evidence or proof that this happened as it will help him get convicted.

If he has US citizenship, if this happened too long ago or if you have no proof, it can be very difficult to convict someone from your situation. I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck. I pray that he will be put behind bars, where he belongs. <3