Former child therapist settles lawsuit with boy he counseled

Caller-Times (Corpus Christi, TX)

March 21--A former child therapist accused of asking to see the genitals of a boy he was counselingsettled a lawsuit with the teen and his mother Tuesday.

Robert Berlin, formerly of the Center for Individual & Family Counseling, agreed to pay through his insurance company $99,169.80 to the boy, lawyers said in court. The money will go into a registry that the teen can obtain when he is an adult.

In addition, Berlin's insurance company is responsible for court and other costs the agreement made confidential. The agreement does not admit guilt and Berlin has denied the claims to the Caller-Times and in court. Berlin has said federal medical privacy laws prevent him from commenting. Berlin's Corpus Christi lawyer, Larry Coffey, said the decision to settle was made by his client's insurance company.

The boy, now 16, said after the hearing the experience has caused him to be "paranoid" about people's intentions. He continues to go through counseling but said he won't see male counselors.

"The settlement does not change what happened to my client nor will it ever fully compensate him for what he went through," the boy's Corpus Christi lawyer, John Martinez, said.

The boy's mother hopes Berlin will face criminal charges, Martinez said. The woman met with Nueces County District Attorney Mark Gonzalez before the settlement hearing. Gonzalez, who took office in January, said his office will review the case his predecessor dismissed.

The boy's mother filed the suit after her son's 2012 counseling sessions that were supposed to help him cope with his parents' divorce. Berlin surrendered his license in 2014 amidst investigations by Corpus Christi police and the Texas Board of Examiners of Licensed Professional Counselors.

Several families came forward to make similar allegations and in 2015 a Nueces County grand jury indicted Berlin on a felony charge of indecency with a child involving another boy. Two months later, prosecutors dismissed the case because, then-District Attorney Mark Skurka said, the evidence did not prove Berlin's guilt enough to pursue the charge. Prosecutors can bring the charge back if new evidence surfaces.

The boys' families have collaborated with Michael Gillum, a psychologist who was involved in a high-profile sexual assault case against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

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