In the 1970's a 9-year-old boy was adopted by Douglas Burnham and molested for years. Burnham was convicted of first-degree sexual abuse in 1983 and received probation. Burnham continued to molest children and in March 2011 was sentenced to 12 1/2 years.

At least 2 teen-aged boys brought to Vancouver, WA, from Colombia by Catholic priest James Mitchell. He promised them U.S. citizenship via adoption and then subjected them to years of sexual abuse. At least 4 boys lived with Mitchell over the years. Ariel and L.M. have alleged sexual abuse. Ariel was told he was adopted by Mitchell, but was only granted  US visa. It is unclear if the boys were ever legally adopted.

Girl adopted from Costa Rica was sexually abused by her adoptive father, who had previously sexually abused 3 bio daughters. Mother was unaware of the abuse The girl was adopted along with her brother from Costa Rica in 1981 when she was 11 and he was 9. Both children had been sexually abused in their original family. Sexual abuse started immediately after the adoption. The family also had 3 foster daughters who did not report being abused.
Father was convicted in the adopted daughter's case and 2 of the 3 bio daughters' cases. The 3rd bio daughter refused to testify.

Adopted by Marybeth Tinning, who by then had already killed five of her own children, was killed age two and a half. All 9 of Marybeth and Joe Tining's children died at early ages. Eight were alone with Marybeth when they died. Michael was the only adopted child.

In 1981, Portuguese Judiciary Police accused the caretaker of a Casa Pia state-run children's home of raping dozens of children over a period of 30 years, and supplying children to several men of both Portuguese and other nationalities, including some prominent personalities of Portugal. At the time, Portuguese Judiciary Police had possession of photographs taken by one of four men accused sexually abusing young children. These pictures inexplicably disappeared from the police files and the case against the caretaker was dropped.

The scandal of alleged sexual abuse at the state-run Casa Pia orphanages resurfaced when several former orphanage children came forward with accusations of abuse. The accusations linked some politicians, diplomats, and media celebrities — all of whom were alleged to have conspired in a pedophilia ring that had operated for decades. The scandal broke in September 2002 when the mother of one alleged victim, known as Joel, complained of abuse by staff at a Casa Pia house.

9 months old boy adopted by Lillie May Caldwell Gasaway was beaten to death by her, two more adopted children were assaulted. Salient detail: she adopted a fourth child while awaiting trial on the murder charge.

Charles County, Md delegate, C.T. Wilson was sexually and physically abused by his adoptive father.

Thi My Lan Nguyen, a 5 year old girl from Vietnam brought to the US by Vietnam veteran, George Joseph England in 1972, was molested for 11 years by her father. After he was convicted in 1977 of molesting 3 of her playmates, he jumped bail, took the girl and assumed a different identity (Stephen Arthur Seagoe). England was caught in Florida in 2005.

England took the girl to Thailand, India and Japan before entering the US. It is not clear if he adopted her in another country prior to entering the US, or how he was able to bring her into the country. He told co workers she was his adopted daughter and that he homeschooled her.

In October, 1993, Victoria Neal admitted being responsible for the death of Danielle Christine Neal, a 13 month old girl adopted 4 months earlier from Korea. Danielle died Sept 2, 1976 of brain injuries. She had partially healed fractures of her legs, arm and collarbone. A second girl adopted from later Korea was removed from her custody after being admitted to a Toldeo hospital with brain injuries in 1979.
Glenn Neal was not charged.

Billy or Billie Rohrer was a 2.5 or 3.5 year old boy from El Salvador who died from brain hemorrhage 3 months after his adoption.

Maryanne "Mimi" Rohrer and her husband prominent politician/banker William G. Rohrer Jr. flew to San Salvador to arrange visa's for 2 unrelated children prior to having fully completed INS paperwork. Miguelito Alvarada (aka Pepe), 2 1/2, and Ana Cecelia, 2, were renamed William 3rd and Laura Lisa. Billy died under suspicious circumstances in 1975. The investigation was delayed and charges were not brought until 12/82 after the statute of limitations expired for manslaughter charges. Mimi was charged with murder. The Jury was hung on the murder charge, but thought they may have convicted on manslaughter, which was not available.

Likely no agency was involved, and it is unclear if a homestudy was fully completed, although Rohrer's had been working for 6 months on domestic adoption. Several background checks were missing from the INS files.