CALIFORNIA
Ein News
Lawsuit claims that the alleged negligence of the Church allowed a sexual predator to sexually abuse a then seven-year-old girl.
SAN JOSE, CA, USA, August 21, 2013 /EINPresswire.com/ — Sex abuse victim advocate/attorney Robert Allard of Corsiglia, McMahon & Allard has filed a sexual molestation lawsuit (Santa Clara County Superior Court, Case #113CV251524) against Church on the Hill, also known as The First Baptist Church, of San Jose, alleging the Church enabled an alleged sexual predator named Keith Woodhouse to molest a then seven-year-old girl. The minor is now 14-years-old and is named as Jane Doe due to her age and serious medical and psychological problems resulting from the sexual molestation.
The lawsuit alleges that Woodhouse was observed by Church lifeguards during a summer camp called “Camp on the Hill” in July of 2007 holding the seven-year-old as she was sitting in his lap in the Church’s swimming pool. At that point in time, Woodhouse was observed kissing the minor’s shoulder and/or neck. Soon afterwards, another female lifeguard heard the young girl scream out that something was “poking” her in the butt. The lifeguard claims she saw Woodhouse exit the pool with a full erection. A third lifeguard then followed Woodhouse into a nearby bathroom where, the complaint alleges, he overheard Woodhouse masturbating. Woodhouse returned back to the pool where he immediately resumed holding Jane Doe, at which point the lifeguards intervened and ordered him to release the girl.
Despite all three lifeguards providing reports of the incident to Church management, including two comprehensive typewritten statements from two of them, Church Pastor Elliot Sands failed to notify law enforcement and the parents of the child. Instead, he simply fired Woodhouse and ordered him not to return to the Church property for the time being.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.