Sexual Assault Survivor Stories

211. Sonny Von Cleveland: From Solitary Confinement to a Voice for Survivors (Prologue of Dr. Peter Verdin) November 4, 2026, marks the fourth anniversary of Sexual Assault Survivor Stories, and today we're celebrating this milestone with the premiere episode of Season 5. For four years, SASS has provided a platform for survivors to share their experiences, challenge misconceptions about sexual violence, and help listeners better understand trauma and its lasting effects. As we begin our fifth season, our commitment to normalizing these conversations remains unchanged. And I can't think of a better guest to help us celebrate this occasion than Sonny Von Cleveland, whose remarkable life story brings together some of the most important issues this podcast has explored over the past five years. Sonny Von Cleveland is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, an author, nationally recognized speaker, and advocate for survivors of exploitation and trauma. His childhood was marked by repeated abuse, instability, and early involvement with the criminal justice system. He ultimately spent 18 years incarcerated, including 19 months in solitary confinement, where an unexpected mentorship helped him begin a profound process of personal change. Since his release in 2016, Sonny has dedicated much of his life to helping others understand the consequences of childhood trauma, the importance of accountability, and the possibility of meaningful transformation. His memoir, Hey White Boy: Conversations of Redemption, published in 2023, chronicles his experiences and the difficult work of rebuilding his life. Today, Sonny serves as Director of Public Engagement and Content at Our Rescue, an organization working to combat human trafficking and child exploitation. He also cohosts Unlikely Allies: Inside Our Fight with retired Homeland Security Investigations Supervisory Special Agent Jim Cole. An important part of Sonny's story is his wife, Claire Von Cleveland, an accomplished writer, speaker, consultant, and entrepreneur whose work deserves recognition in its own right. Claire previously held a senior leadership position with American Express in London and has extensive experience in organizational culture, leadership coaching, and workplace wellbeing. She helped write Sonny's memoir and is currently developing her own book, Two Suitcases and a Knowing. Through her essays and professional work, Claire examines institutional power, shame, redemption, and the challenges people encounter when attempting to rebuild their lives. Together, Sonny and Claire established Frisky Business Palm Springs Cat Café, a community-centered business supporting animal adoption, inclusion, and wellbeing. Claire has also helped develop a certified neurodiverse workplace, and she serves as Executive Director of the Von Cleveland Foundation, while Sonny serves as its founder and board president. Their shared commitment to second chances extends well beyond Sonny's personal story. Today's episode also brings us back to someone familiar to SASS listeners: Dr. Peter Verdin, my guest from Episode 203. Peter is a former University of Georgia baseball player who was drafted by the Washington Nationals, an educator, and a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. His forthcoming memoir, Gold in the Cracks: A Memoir of Silence, Performance, and Repair, explores the ways childhood trauma can remain concealed beneath achievement, professional success, and the appearance of having everything together. Drawing inspiration from Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, Peter examines what it means to acknowledge painful experiences without allowing them to define one's entire identity. His writing also explores fatherhood, relationships, recovery, and the continuing process of healing. Readers can visit his book's official website to learn more, receive publication updates, and request a free copy of the prologue. The connection between Sonny and Peter is particularly meaningful. On October 20, 2026, Sonny and his cohost Jim Cole launched Unlikely Allies with an extraordinary conversation featuring Peter and Sergeant Jeremy Hinson of the Stafford County Sheriff's Office, one of the investigators who helped bring Peter's childhood abuser to justice. Reunited years after the investigation, Peter and Jeremy discuss the enduring consequences of abuse, the pursuit of justice, and the unexpected relationships that can develop between survivors and the professionals who investigate their cases. Their conversation offers another perspective on the issues we explored with Peter in Episode 203 and provides an excellent opportunity for SASS listeners to continue learning about his story. As we celebrate our fourth anniversary and begin Season 5, I want to express my sincere appreciation to every survivor who has trusted me with their story and every listener who has helped this podcast reach people around the world. Four years and 211 episodes represent an extraordinary collection of experiences, perspectives, and conversations, but the mission remains as important today as it was when we began: to educate, encourage understanding, support survivors, and Normalize the Conversation. I hope you'll join me in celebrating this milestone by sharing today's episode and helping introduce Sexual Assault Survivor Stories to someone who hasn't yet discovered it. CONNECT WITH SONNY VON CLEVELAND Official website: https://www.sonnyvoncleveland.com Book, Hey White Boy: Conversations of Redemption: https://heywhiteboy.com The Von Cleveland Foundation: https://www.tvcfoundation.org Our Rescue: https://ourrescue.org Unlikely Allies: Inside Our Fight: https://ourrescue.org/unlikelyallies Instagram: @sonnyvonclevelandofficial Speaking and media inquiries: [email protected] LEARN MORE ABOUT CLAIRE VON CLEVELAND Website: https://www.clairevoncleveland.com Essays and writing: https://clairevoncleveland.substack.com Frisky Business Palm Springs Cat Café: https://www.friskybusinesscatcafe.com CONNECT WITH DR. PETER VERDIN Gold in the Cracks: A Memoir of Silence, Performance, and Repair: https://goldinthecracksofficial.com Email: [email protected] Listen to Peter's appearance on Sexual Assault Survivor Stories, Episode 203, and his conversation with Sergeant Jeremy Hinson on the premiere of Unlikely Allies. CONNECT WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVOR STORIES Website: https://sasstories.com Instagram: @SexualAssaultSurvivorStories If you're a survivor who would like to explore the possibility of sharing your story, please reach out. I'd welcome the opportunity to have a conversation with you. When you write to me, I'll need your cell phone number, your time zone, 3 to 4 times that would work for a phone conversation with me, and about 30 minutes of your time. Please allow up to 2 weeks for me to get back to you. Thank you for five years of listening, supporting, and helping to Normalize the Conversation. And please remember to Start by Believing, because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Here are some other critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! — Thank you!! https://www.thestrongsurvivor.com/ https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ Thank you for tuning in. -Dave

210. Rory: Raped, Pregnant, and Forced to Co-Parent; A Survivor Fights Back When a survivor of rape becomes pregnant as a result of the assault, the trauma can extend far beyond the crime itself. In some cases, the survivor may face years of custody disputes, court proceedings, and unwanted contact with the person responsible for the assault. But a new California law is changing the legal options available to survivors and their children. On September 30, 2026, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1364, introduced by State Senator Caroline Menjivar. The legislation addresses parental rights, custody, and visitation when a child is conceived through sexual assault. One of its most significant provisions allows a family court to make certain findings based on clear and convincing evidence, without requiring a criminal conviction. This is a different standard from the proof beyond a reasonable doubt required in criminal court. The law establishes a presumption against awarding custody to someone found to have committed sexual assault resulting in the child's conception. It also expands legal pathways for challenging parentage and terminating parental custody and control under specified circumstances. These protections are not automatic. They require judicial findings, and different provisions contain different legal requirements and exceptions. The legislation addresses an important reality: the absence of a criminal conviction does not necessarily mean a sexual assault never occurred. Survivors should have meaningful opportunities to seek protection through the civil legal system, even when criminal prosecution has been unsuccessful or never occurred. This week's guest, Rory (not her real name), helped bring attention to that very issue. Rory is a survivor who has chosen to share her experience under an assumed name. Her willingness to tell her story to California State Senator Caroline Menjivar helped initiate the effort that ultimately contributed to SB 1364 becoming law. Rory's connection with Sexual Assault Survivor Stories began when she discovered the podcast while looking for understanding and support in her own healing journey. Through listening to other survivors and learning more about sexual assault and trauma, she began finding helpful insights and a sense of community. That connection eventually led Rory to reach out to SASS, not simply to tell her own story, but to help others who may be struggling with similar experiences. For survivors whose pregnancies resulted from rape, the consequences can be extraordinarily complicated. Alongside the trauma of the assault, they may face difficult decisions surrounding pregnancy, parenting, personal safety, custody, and their relationships with the people who harmed them. The possibility of being legally required to share parenting responsibilities with a perpetrator can create additional challenges, particularly when a survivor is trying to establish safety, stability, and independence. Rory wants other victims and survivors to understand that they are not alone in confronting these circumstances. There are advocates, legal resources, survivor communities, and organizations working to help people navigate these difficult situations. Her involvement in bringing this issue to a state legislator also illustrates something important: survivors can contribute to changes that extend far beyond their individual experiences. And California's legislation offers a potential model for other states. Lawmakers elsewhere can examine SB 1364, evaluate their own custody and parental-rights statutes, and consider legislation that permits family courts to act on clear and convincing evidence rather than requiring a criminal conviction in every qualifying case. Survivors, advocates, attorneys, and community organizations can help advance those conversations by sharing experiences, educating legislators, supporting proposed legislation, and participating in the legislative process. Each state must address its own legal framework, but the underlying questions about child safety, survivor protection, and appropriate standards of proof are relevant nationwide. For Rory, sharing her experience is about more than what happened to her. It's about helping others find information, support, and possibilities they may not have known existed. Episode 210 is a conversation about the lasting consequences of sexual assault, the importance of survivor voices in shaping public policy, and the hope that can emerge when personal experiences help bring about meaningful change. Above all, it's a reminder that healing does not have to happen in isolation, and survivors deserve to know that help, community, and hope are available. For additional information: California Senate Bill 1364: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB1364 RAINN, National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-HOPE (4673) RAINN: https://rainn.org Sexual Assault Survivor Stories continues its mission to normalize the conversation surrounding rape and sexual assault, encourage understanding, and remind survivors that their voices matter. An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor of rape or sexual assault and are ready to tell your story to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: [email protected] Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Please be sure to provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you, and let me know what time zone you are in…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you! Here are some other critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! — Thank you!! https://www.thestrongsurvivor.com/ https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in. -Dave

What happens when a sexual assault survivor refuses to be silenced, even when the institutions responsible for protecting him seem determined not to listen? In Episode 209 of Sexual Assault Survivor Stories, I welcome author and publisher R. Greg Adams, whose new memoir, Strong Survivor: Strong Victim, recounts his experience of being sexually assaulted by his physician in 2015 and the extraordinary decade-long battle for accountability that followed. Greg describes the resistance he encountered from law enforcement, medical regulators, and other authorities, along with the profound personal consequences of his pursuit of justice. His experience exposes troubling questions about institutional betrayal, the treatment of male sexual assault survivors, and the additional trauma that can result when survivors are denied meaningful support. This conversation is about far more than one man's experience. It's about the responsibility of institutions to respond appropriately to sexual violence, the importance of believing survivors, and the tremendous human cost of systems that fail the people they're supposed to protect. Greg's story deserves to be heard, and his book provides an important opportunity to continue a conversation our society can no longer afford to avoid. Learn more about Greg and his book at https://www.thestrongsurvivor.com. An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor of rape or sexual assault and are ready to tell your story to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: [email protected] Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Please be sure to provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you, and let me know what time zone you are in…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you! Here are some other critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! — Thank you!! https://www.thestrongsurvivor.com/ https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in. -Dave

My guest today is Dr. Anne Aspler, an emergency physician, professor, researcher, humanitarian, survivor, advocate, and author whose voice has become increasingly influential both within medicine and across social media. Anne brings an unusual and important perspective to conversations about sexual violence: she has treated trauma professionally while also carrying the lived experience of sexual and family violence herself. The timing of this episode could not be more appropriate. Today, October 6, 2026, marks the release of Anne's new memoir, Rise After Silence: An ER Doctor and the Patients Who Healed Her. The book brings together stories from Anne's years in emergency medicine with her own journey through trauma, motherhood, medicine, identity, and healing, while confronting the profound consequences of violence that takes place behind closed doors. Our conversation moves between medicine, criminal justice, trauma, memory, and survivor advocacy. We talk about trauma informed interviewing, why survivors may never enter the justice system, and the gaps that remain between healthcare, law enforcement, the courts, and survivor care. We also explore something Anne's life demonstrates powerfully: lived experience and professional expertise do not have to exist separately. Brought together, they can become an extraordinary force for understanding, advocacy, and change. Anne's official sites are Rise After Silence and Anne's website. An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor of rape or sexual assault and are ready to tell your story to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: [email protected] Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Please be sure to provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you, and let me know what time zone you are in…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you! Here are some other critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! — Thank you!! https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in. -Dave

Cassie Nicholas returns to Sexual Assault Survivor Stories for her fourth appearance. Listeners first met Cassie in Episode 36, followed her continuing healing journey in Episode 81, heard the story of attempted trafficking concealed as an offer of help in Episode 182, and came together for her during a special edition episode after a devastating car fire took her transportation, shelter, and belongings. In Episode 207, Cassie shares another part of her story: what it meant to grow up as a "glass child," the sibling of someone with profound disabilities, while learning to suppress her own needs in an effort to preserve stability within a complicated family system. We talk about parentification, emotional adaptation, domestic violence, self-erasure, and how becoming invisible can begin as a survival response and remain long after the original danger has passed. Cassie also talks about reclaiming her voice through advocacy, storytelling, and writing. Her recent work includes the short story "The Hall of Prisoners" and "Meet Me in the Mountains," written in memory of a friend who passed away. She is also the creator and host of the podcast Love Brought You Here, where she explores trauma, family systems, healing, survival, and the experiences that shape who we become. Cassie's story is not one of pain neatly resolved or trauma permanently placed in the past. It is the story of a woman continuing to understand what happened to her, refusing to disappear, and learning that her voice belongs to her first. Connect with Cassie and explore her work: The Hall of Prisoners Meet Me in the Mountains The Cassandra Voice Linktree The Cassandra Voice on YouTube Love Brought You Here Podcast: [email protected] An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor of rape or sexual assault and are ready to tell your story to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: [email protected] Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Please be sure to provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you, and let me know what time zone you are in…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you! Here are some critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! — Thank you!! https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in. -Dave