2:24-cv-08665 Complaint: John Roe CL 11 v. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints et al., C.D. Cal.

2:24-cv-08665 Complaint: John Roe CL 11 v. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints et al., C.D. Cal.

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Description

URL: https://floodlit.org/cl-11-complaint/
Description: Civil complaint
Case title: John Roe CL 11 v. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints et al.
Case number: 2:24-cv-08665
Court: California Central District
Date filed: 2024-10-08
Pages: 34
Changes made by FLOODLIT.org: None

Document summary

This is a copy of a civil complaint originally filed on October 8, 2024, in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles (Case No. 24STCV22558).

The plaintiff, John Roe CL 11 (a pseudonym to protect his identity as a childhood sexual abuse victim), alleges he was sexually abused as a minor by three adult male church leaders between 2001 and 2003. The alleged abuse occurred at the LDS meetinghouse in Lancaster, Los Angeles County, California.

The plaintiff seeks damages for negligence and related claims, demanding a jury trial.

The document is Exhibit A in a federal case (2:24-cv-08665-PA-SK).

Plaintiff: John Roe CL 11, an adult male under 40, resident of Orange County, California. He was approximately 15 years old at the start of the alleged abuse and a member of the church’s Lancaster ward.

Defendants:

  1. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a Utah non-profit corporation operating in California).
  2. The Temple Corporation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a subsidiary managing church properties).
  3. The Lancaster California Stake (a local church entity in Lancaster, California).
  4. Does 4–100 (fictitious names for unidentified parties, potentially agents or successors liable for the events).

Perpetrators (not named defendants but central to allegations):

  1. “Perpetrator Smith:” Bishop of the Lancaster ward.
  2. “Perpetrator Bob:” Member of the Melchizedek priesthood (possibly elder or counselor).
  3. “Perpetrator Jim:” Member of the Melchizedek priesthood (possibly elder or counselor).

These individuals were allegedly employees, agents, or volunteers of the LDS church, using their positions of authority to groom and abuse the plaintiff.

Key Factual Allegations

  • Alleged abuse occurred weekly from 2001 to 2003 in a back room of the Lancaster LDS chapel.
  • Nature of alleged abuse: The perpetrators lured the plaintiff (who was mowing lawns for money) under the pretense of discussing his job. They fondled his chest, back, and buttocks while leading him to the room and took turns assaulting him inside. This pattern repeated for two years, with the plaintiff feeling coerced due to the power imbalance (three adult religious leaders vs. a minor).
  • Church officials allegedly knew or should have known about the abuse due to the perpetrators’ conspicuous absences from duties, repeated isolation of the plaintiff in an unsupervised area, and the involvement of high-ranking ward leaders. Despite this, they failed to investigate, intervene, report, or protect the plaintiff.

This lawsuit highlights systemic issues in the church’s handling of abuse allegations, seeking accountability for the plaintiff’s ongoing trauma.

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