Town of New Orleans was ordered by a federal jury on Wednesday to pay $1m to an adolescent who was sexually assaulted by one of many metropolis’s police officers in 2020.
The federal civil trial, which was introduced towards the town by {the teenager}’s household on her behalf, started on Monday and lasted three days.
The jury deliberated for round three hours earlier than reaching its verdict and located the town accountable for hiring and failing to cease one among its officers, who had a legal previous, from molesting {the teenager}, and ordered the town to pay $1m to the sufferer, in line with NOLA.com.
The officer in query, Rodney Vicknair, died in jail earlier this 12 months from mind most cancers. He served lower than six months of his 14-year sentence after pleading responsible to violating {the teenager}’s rights by sexually abusing her in 2020.
Vicknair met {the teenager} in Might 2020 – when he was 53 and she or he was 14. He was was working and escorted her to endure a forensic examination referred to as a rape equipment after one other man had sexually assaulted her, authorities mentioned.
Vicknair then gave the lady his cellphone quantity, and within the months that adopted, authorities say that they spoke on the cellphone and exchanged messages, and he would usually cease by her home, unannounced and uniformed.
Over time, he allegedly made sexual feedback to her, requested her for sexually suggestive pictures and uncovered his genitals to her on video calls.
In September 2020, Vicknair arrived on the home of {the teenager} – who had then turned 15 – and advised her to get into his car, court docket paperwork state, after which federal prosecutors say he then locked the door and sexually assaulted her.
Through the civil trial this week, the sufferer reportedly testified that Vicknair sexually assaulted her 4 instances, in line with WDSU Information.
Vicknair was arrested in September of 2020 by his personal company on state counts of sexual battery, indecent habits with a juvenile and malfeasance in workplace, and he was additionally suspended from the pressure. Federal authorities then charged him and he pleaded responsible in November 2022.
The household of the sufferer introduced this civil case towards the town of New Orleans and has argued that the town and its police division had been accountable for her abuse, claiming that each might have accomplished extra to stop Vicknair from utilizing his place to assault her.
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The lawsuit states that Vicknair had obtained a sequence of complaints since turning into a police officer in 2007, together with allegations of unauthorized pressure, failure to observe division coverage, verbal intimidation and extra.
{The teenager}’s attorneys have additionally argued that Vicknair ought to by no means have been employed by the police pressure, given his legal historical past, which incorporates a number of arrests, a couple of misdemeanor convictions and, in line with the Washington Submit, a conviction of battery on a juvenile from 1987.
The teenage sufferer testified in the course of the trial this week, as did present and former New Orleans police officers, NOLA reported.
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