sexual assault – Attorney Legal Counsel

$2.3B Awarded in Sex Abuse Lawsuit That Named Mormon Church

attorneylegalcounsel99 — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 07:48:38 +0000

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — A woman who was molested for years by her stepfather has been awarded $2.28 billion by a California jury in a lawsuit that also implicated her mother and the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in which both parents were active, her attorneys announced.

The panel in Riverside County Superior Court awarded damages Tuesday to a woman described in court papers only as Jane Doe, who said she was sexually assaulted by her stepfather from age 5 until she was 14, according to an announcement by the law firm of Gary A. Dordick.

The lawsuit alleged that beginning in the 1980s, the stepfather sexually abused the girl. The assaults took place at their Lake Elsinore home and at events, meetings, and property of the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the lawsuit said.

“These ongoing acts of abuse brought Plaintiff to the brink of suicide,” according to the lawsuit.

In addition to the stepfather, the negligence and sexual abuse suit also named the church and the woman’s mother. It alleged that the woman repeatedly told church officials, including local bishops, about the sexual abuse but that they failed to report it to law enforcement in violation of church policy and also used “intimidation and shaming tactics” to keep her from telling anyone outside the church.

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The AP is not naming the stepfather nor the mother to shield the identity of the victim. An email to the stepfather’s attorney seeking comment wasn’t returned.

The stepfather was arrested in 1997 after Jane Doe told her high school basketball coach about the abuse, the suit said. He pleaded guilty to committing lewd acts with a child under age 14 and spent three years in state prison, according to the lawsuit.

While denying wrongdoing, the church settled its part of the lawsuit for $1 million in December, and the woman’s mother settled for $200,000 in February, according to the woman’s lawyers.

The stepfather failed to appear at trial on the first day of jury selection and withdrew his answer to the lawsuit rather than face a warrant for his arrest, and “accordingly, his attorney was not able to participate in the trial,” the law firm said in an email.

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The post $2.3B Awarded in Sex Abuse Lawsuit That Named Mormon Church appeared first on Attorney Legal Counsel.

Tim Ballard, founder of Operation Underground Railroad, has had four new criminal sexual assault complaints filed against him, attorney says.

attorneylegalcounsel99 — Sun, 14 Jan 2024 07:12:24 +0000

Lawyer for Operation Underground Railroad founder says the latest moves are part of “an ever-changing shakedown” of her client.

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Celeste Borys and husband Michael Borys appear at a news conference in November 2023 accusing Tim Ballard of sexual misconduct.

| Jan. 14, 2024, 4:36 a.m.

| Updated: 4:38 a.m.

Celeste Borys, one of the women suing Tim Ballard, flew to California with her lawyer last week to file criminal complaints alleging the founder of Operation Underground Railroad sexually assaulted her in four jurisdictions, according to her attorney.

Borys, who was Ballard’s executive assistant from March 2023 until last fall, previously filed a criminal complaint with the Lindon Police Department in Utah County.

She now has also reported assaults to police departments in San Diego, San Clemente, the San Jose suburb of Campbell, and to Los Angeles Airport police, Borys’ attorney Suzette Rasmussen told The Salt Lake Tribune.

The Tribune could not independently confirm the complaints with respective police departments Friday or Saturday. Rasmussen provided images of four documents from the four agencies, including case numbers and names of detectives. One, an investigative report, included details of an assault alleged to have occurred at the L.A. airport during an April trip.

Borys, who previously went public with allegations against Ballard, is expected to appear at a news conference Monday morning to address the latest complaints.

“My client … has shown tremendous courage in coming forward about the sexual assaults against her by Tim Ballard,” said Rasmussen, who accompanied Borys to the police departments Wednesday and Thursday. “My client’s decision to report the assaults in additional jurisdictions speaks to the widespread nature of the traumatic events she and other women have experienced due to Tim Ballard’s sexual deviancy. It emphasizes the critical need for a comprehensive and coordinated effort across jurisdictions to address these heinous acts.”

Ballard’s attorney responds

Whitney Bernstein, a lawyer representing Ballard, said Saturday that Borys is motivated by money.

“This is an ever-changing shakedown by someone who said she was in love with Tim,” Bernstein said in a statement, “and voluntarily chose to travel and work with him in multiple jobs long after the events she alleges occurred.”

OUR filed a counterclaim against Borys last month, accusing her of violating terms of nondisclosure and nondisparagement agreements she had signed. The organization said Borys had defended Ballard against another woman accusing him of misconduct — calling that woman “crazy” and the investigation “fake news” — and remained close to her former boss until roughly a week before filing her suit.

“This carefully orchestrated media campaign has purposefully left out a number of important facts that will tell a much different story, including a strong financial motivation for making these false claims,” Bernstein said. “Tim Ballard has dedicated his life to protecting others, and his behavior toward his former friend and colleague has been consistent with that commitment.”

Ballard under multiple investigations

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah attorney General Sean Reyes. left, and Tim Ballard are shown in 2016.

Ballard already is the subject of at least two investigations, one by the Utah attorney general’s office — announced by his longtime friend and supporter, attorney General Sean Reyes, in December — and one by Lindon police.

Rasmussen, Borys’ attorney, said Ballard assaulted her client in San Diego when the two traveled there to gather intelligence on a suspected North Korean trafficking ring and to get a copy of the movie “Sound of Freedom” — which is loosely based on Ballard’s story — for screening before its release.

Borys was was also assaulted, Rasmussen said, when they traveled to San Clemente for a board meeting of Operation Underground Railroad, the anti-trafficking group Ballard started; to Los Angeles, where Ballard was supposedly gathering information about massage parlors and spoke at an OUR fundraiser; to San Jose, for a “Sound of Freedom” screening at the home of a prominent OUR supporter.

In October, Borys and her husband, Michael Borys, filed a civil lawsuit against Ballard and OUR, alleging Ballard had violently sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions, that the organization did nothing to stop it, and that Ballard and OUR inflicted emotional distress on the couple.

Six additional women have also filed a pair of civil lawsuits accusing Ballard of sexual misconduct or assault and alleging OUR was complicit or negligent in the actions.

For his part, Ballard has fired back at Borys in court filings. His attorneys allege that she accessed Ballard’s email account and stole confidential information that she provided to lawyers suing Ballard. Attorneys for the Ballard want the records stricken from the litigation.

The post Tim Ballard, founder of Operation Underground Railroad, has had four new criminal sexual assault complaints filed against him, attorney says. appeared first on Attorney Legal Counsel.

Riverside County correctional deputy faces 18 felony charges in sextortion case – NBC Los Angeles

attorneylegalcounsel99 — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 08:47:49 +0000

Two women who accused a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department correctional deputy of sextortion while they were inmates are empowering other possible victims to come forward.

In a press conference held Tuesday, two women urged others to come forward if they believe they were victimized by 32-year-old Christian Heidecker. Heidecker, who is facing 18 felony charges for alleged sextortion, turned himself in two weeks after the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department was notified of the allegations on Aug. 31.

“I just want every other girl to not be afraid,” one accuser said. “I know that they tell us that we don’t have a chance, but here I am to tell you we do.”

Heidecker, who is on paid administrative leave, is accused of engaging in sexual acts with female inmates on home detention. He is now facing charges that include rape, bribery and extortion.

“We are here because we would like other victims to come forward and not to be afraid of the sheriff’s department, even though this is very hard and it’s a very scary situation for us because our freedom is in their hands,” a second accuser said.

According to attorneys for the women, the department is accused of engaging in a coverup in an effort to keep at least one of the alleged victims quiet.

“They made her sign a 1099, a settlement release agreement in the exchange for $1,000 so that she kept her mouth shut,” attorney Denisse Gastelum said.”

In a comment to NBC4, a spokesperson for Riverside County released the following statement:

“Pre-litigation settlements do not contain non-disclosure language. In fact, as this specific case involves an ongoing criminal investigation, these women may testify in a criminal trial. To characterize any pre-litigation settlements as an effort to buy silence is a clear mischaracterization.

It is not uncommon to seek settlement prior to litigation to avoid the time and expense for both sides associated with lawsuits.

The county received this claim today and will review it thoroughly to determine next steps.”

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