Los Gatos man says adopted parents used him as sex slave for years

Denis Flynn speaks at a press conference regarding the 10 years sexual abuse he said occurred at the hands of his adoptive parents. Denis Flynn speaks at a press conference regarding the 10 years sexual abuse he said occurred at the hands of his adoptive parents. Photo: Jenna Lyons Photo: Jenna Lyons Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Los Gatos man says adopted parents used him as sex slave for years 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

When Denis Flynn was adopted from an orphanage in Russia at age 9 and brought to Los Gatos, he thought he was living a dream come true.

But soon after, his father, Ralph Flynn, started sexually molesting him, he said. Six years later, his mother, Carolyn Flynn, started abusing him as well, he added.

The couple, arrested in November, face 44 counts related to the alleged molestation, felony charges that include incest, sexual abuse of a child, unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, as well as lewd and lascivious acts on a child.

On Wednesday, Denis Flynn, now 23, shared his story for the first time publicly, describing the 10 years he said he spent as a sex slave in his own home.

“I want people to know that what happened to me was wrong, absolutely, inhumanely wrong,” he said sitting next to his attorney Richard Alexander. “The healing process begins when you begin to tell your truth, when you begin to tell your story.”

The press conference followed the filing of a civil lawsuit Tuesday, in which Denis Flynn is seeking damages for personal injury related to the allegations of sexual assault, human trafficking, creation and transmission of child pornography, and emotional distress, among other claims.

Flynn offered few details about the alleged molestation, saying his father would force his way into his room, even when the door was locked.

“I was given a few months to enjoy my new life, and after that he invited me to the bedroom,” he said.

At the beginning of the alleged abuse, he said his adoptive father told him to keep their relationship a secret.

“It got to the point where it was every morning, every afternoon, every evening,” said Denis Flynn, who was born in Russia in 1992 and placed in an orphanage after his mother died.

His adoptive mother started participating in the abuse when he was 15, he said.

“For a long time, they told me what they did was right, what they did was out of love,” he said.

He never told anyone until he was 19, when he revealed the alleged abuse to a friend. He’s unsure if his younger brother suffered similar treatment by their parents. There are no charges filed related to any other family members.

His father, a direct-marketing executive, remains in jail in lieu of $2.5 million bail. His mother, a high-tech executive, was released on $525,000 bail. Denis Flynn still lives at his parents’ former home in Los Gatos, but his mother is attempting to evict him to sell the house, he said.

Neither of his parents have entered a plea yet, and a gag order is in place in the case.

“We're not making any statements about the particulars of the case,” said Wesley Schroeder, an attorney for Carolyn Flynn, who is named in 10 of the 44 counts. “I just hope people can understand we want to use the due process of the court.”

Jenna Lyons and Jill Tucker are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com, jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jennajourno, @jilltucker