It's been more than a year since Jacob Roloff opened up about his sexual assault for the first time, and now, he's answering questions about what happened. In an Instagram Q&A, Jacob explained why he never pursued legal action against the Little People, Big World producer he accused of molesting him at a young age.
In December 2020, Jacob revealed that he had been abused by a producer on the show.
In an Instagram post that he captioned "libertad," Jacob explained that he had been involved in a "long grooming process" by producer Chris Cardamone during his years on the show.
"A child must process, and I needed silence and time," Jacob wrote, explaining why he hadn't come forward sooner.
A fan asked Jacob why he'd never reported his assault.
Though his Instagram story has since expired, according to In Touch Weekly, a fan submitted a question that read, "I am just so sorry you had to experience that, but I’m glad you’re on the other side of it. You named names and you’re holding them accountable. I hope to God that man has been arrested or at least had to pay for what he did."
But as we now know, Jacob's alleged abuser never did have to pay.
Jacob said the "system" has made it impossible for him to hold his alleged abuser legally accountable.
"Appreciate the sentiment. Unfortunately, and I think this is important for others to know, too, it is extremely difficult to pursue any legal action because of a system built to make it that way," he responded. "He won’t receive any repercussions except for perhaps socially from my post."
Cardamone never responded to Jacob's post, but TLC did release a statement at the time.
"TLC was just informed about an alleged encounter that occurred years ago involving a third party connected to the production of Little People, Big World," read the statement. "We are saddened and troubled by this very serious allegation, and TLC will work cooperatively with the authorities. Our main focus remains on supporting the Roloff family during this very difficult time."
Jacob went on to say that believing victims is most important.
“A cruel world and a joke of [a] legal system!" he added. "Just emphasizes that we should, in general, believe victims. If they cannot find closure through legal action (the most common outcome), they should at least be able to find support and validation in the people around them!"
So far, it does seem as if Jacob has received support — especially from his wife, Isabel, who recently gave birth to their first child, a son named Mateo.
Here's hoping Jacob is able to find closure.
It may not be possible for him to take legal action, but hopefully, it is possible for him to find his own closure in his own way. Regardless, there's no doubt that Jacob sharing his story has helped others who have gone through the same thing — and maybe it will even prevent someone else from experiencing it in the future.
