ILLINOIS
Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Freund
A northwest suburban pastor is being sued by a church member who claims that for months she was sexually harassed, defamed and then excommunicated from the congregation by him.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday against pastor Manfred Malagon, his wife, the United Pentecostal Church International and the International Christian Fellowship in Cook County Circuit Court. The International Christian Fellowship church holds services at 240 Standish Street in Elgin and is operated by the United Pentecostal Church International.
In March, Malagon began sending the woman lewd text messages, which included photos of monkey and dog genitalia and a naked woman, the lawsuit stated. He offered to send nude photos of himself and requested nude photos and videos of the woman.
A few months later, the suit alleges, the woman was sexually assaulted when Malagon kissed, hugged and fondled the woman under a set of stairs in the church. When the woman would come for services on Thursdays and Sundays, the pastor would repeat this unwanted sexual behavior many times. On another occasion, he forced her into a room in the church, sexually touched her and pressed his hips against her body, according to the lawsuit.
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