This is an underrated comment. Well done.

Statues of limitations for criminal cases of child molestation typically don’t last 24 years

The statute of limitations may have passed, or the prosecutor may be uninterested

Aside from statute of limitations the burden of proof is also lower to bring a successful claim. This is a classic he said/she said situation in addition to being historical. I suspect any lawyer would recommend this path regardless of the truth of the allegations.