Is This A Valid Defamation Case?

Location: Oregon, USA

TLDR:/ Husband and I were "friends" with a tattoo artist, Adam, who severely abused his adoptive son. The adoptive son is now living with an ex-friend,Eliza, of Adam's, and she has opened a CPS case against him and his wife, claiming unfit parents. Adam's wife and Eliza took the matter to Facebook, with Eliza showing proof that Adam is a convicted Rapist. I commented under Eliza's post that Adam and his wife have multiple accounts and are changing the name of Adam's shop in hopes of avoiding the bad publicity. Adam is now saying he will sue me for Defamation for lying about him, his wife, and his daughter.

So this is going to be pretty complicated. But first, a little background. My husband (33m) and I (26f) used to be friends with a tattoo artist, we'll call Adam. My husband was friends with Adam for about 10 years, professional at first to casual friends by the end of it. And I was friends with Adam for only 4.5 years. We have not seen or spoken to Adam or his wife in over a year. We stopped being friends in large part due to Adam's wife cheating repeatedly and me telling Adam he should leave her to save himself. I was hoping that their kids wouldn't have been placed with either parent if they divorced. Adam told his wife I said he should leave her and because his wife is psychotic (diagnosed behaviors, of which she is supposed to be medicated), she threatened to kill me if I ever stepped foot at their house ever again. So that was the end of the "friendship". Not to mention, we were only "friends" in hopes of trying to save his children, as will become evident as you read.

Adam told us he had a felony for aggravated assault for "saving his girlfriend from a pedophile rapist", claiming he stabbed the man 27 times and went to prison for 14 years. Adam is also the legal father to another man's child -the biological dad gave up parental rights at birth. This kid we'll call Steven. Steven suffers from an undiagnosed seizure disorder he inherited from his mother.

Adam and Steven have always had a horrible relationship. Adam was, in every sense, the evil step-parent you here about all over Reddit. He would lay hands on Steven fairly regularly, many times in front of witnesses and Steven's siblings. The abuse against Steven continued to escalate as he got older, until he turned 14 and was kicked out of their house for "dealing drugs". The cops investigated those claims and found that they were unfounded, but Adam and his wife refused to let Steven come home. Eventually CPS told Adam that Steven has to be at home unless they want to relinquish custody of him, since they refused to enroll him into school. For the last 2 years, the abuse against Steven was immense, refusing to feed him as punishments for any slight against Adam, literally locking Steven away in his room for days on end, and telling CPS that he ran away so they couldn't talk to him. The CPS by them has just been allowing it to happen, to the point they dont even check on calls against Adam and his wife.

Steven was once again kicked out, and is now living with a old friend of Adam, who Adam hates. This woman, Eliza, took him in, spent a fortune buying him new clothes, school supplies, and a mountain on medical debts to finally figure out and control Steven's seizure disorder. At first, Eliza was fine being acting gaurdian, but she asked Adam and his wife to enroll him in school so he can hopefully graduate on time with summer school and night school. They refused and demanded Eliza kick Steven onto the streets "where he belongs". Eliza is now working with CPS and a Special Victims detective to hopefully gain custody of Sysven to give him the best shot at life.

Now the Defamation issue. Adam's wife and Eliza have taken this issue onto Facebook. Adam's wife is hoping to gain sympathy for having a "horrible" son and a "horrible" woman calling her a bad mother. Eliza took it to Facebook to defend herself, ask for help with legal fees and financial support to help her take care of Steven, since she can't get any state help without guardianship. Eliza got sent files showing Adam's real felony charges, in which he was the rapist from his story, and was charged with Rape in the 3rd degree, sexual abuse in the 3rd degree, and furnishing alcohol to an intoxicated person (6 counts on that one). Adam had been lying about his birth year so people couldn't find his charges.

I privately messaged Eliza and told her what I knew, and asked how to contact the CPS agent to give my testimony of the abuse I witnessed at Adam's house, as well as all the lies they've been telling about literally everything in their lives.

We began swapping stories, trying to find the truth in all of their lies. And it was a lot, to say the least. I no longer believe that Adam is capable of telling the truth, and everything him and his wife have said are all lies.

I gave Eliza permission to post a story I told her I which Steven was screamed at for not finishing dishes because he was helping my husband and I finish up dinner while Adam and his wife were outside smoking. He was later given physical punishments of exercises in a vest weighted at 60 pounds. This kid weighed maybe 110 lbs at this point, no muscle or anything. Adam just enjoyed watching him struggle and would scream any time Steven's form was off, or he started crying, or even if his legs or arms gave out. Adam would go so far at to slap or punch him, should he see fit.

She posted this story, as well as stories from other people coming forward against them and Adam's true charges. I commented under it letting people know he had multiple accounts on Facebook, one with his real name and one with a last name he made up, and that he was changing the name of his "studio" (in quotes because he operates illegally out of his rented house). This is now negatively impacting Adam's illegal tattoo business, as no one wants a tattoo from a convicted rapist with allegations of severe child abuse and neglect.

Adam is now threatening to sue me for defaming him, his wife, and his daughter. I know he can't get me on anything relating to his daughter, because Eliza and I don't even talk about her besides saying we feel awful for her. But everything I've said to Eliza was things I've witnessed, things Adam or his wife have told me and my husband, and things we've heard from their ex-friends over the years. If i wasn't sure about something (like the rumor and things Adam and his wife would say) I'd preface by saying either "I dont know if this is true, but" or "Adam or his wife told me" or even "these are just things I've heard, but". The only things I ever said definitively were things I have witnessed myself.

Adam is also harassing my husband through texts and calls, none of which my husband is answering or responding to because he's hands off in this. When Adam realized it wasn't working, he started harassing my brother in law with texts and calls, who is also not responding or answering.

I have not made any stand alone posts and have not shared anything that wasn't true or couldn't be corroborated by at least one other witness.

Does Adam have a valid case for Defamation against me? Is it even something a lawyer would take, knowing there are now dozens of witnesses against Adam and his wife? Could he even sue for Defamation while in court for multiple different cases?

The other cases include a man taking his ex to court to forbid his ex from letting their children go to Adam's house, since he's a convicted rapist. The CPS custody case for his son Steven. A case against him and his wife for child neglect, child abuse, and child endangerment. And a dual lawsuit for Defamation from Eliza, for them slandering her name, and her adult son, for slandering his name.