JUNIATA COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — Three religious organizations registered in Juniata County are facing a lawsuit after a girl disclosed she’d been sexually abused, and they allegedly failed to report it. She was raped by that same man months later, the suit says.
The lawsuit was filed June 16 against Shepherd’s Fold Counseling Ministry, Richfield Life Ministries Church, and Cedar Grove Brethren in Christ Church. The victim is represented by Andreozzi + Foote.
The case centers around a girl who was sexually abused between 2006 and 2009 by a man named Brian Timothy Wagner, who was convicted in April of sex crimes related to the abuse.
In 2009, when the girl was 13 and Wagner was 21, he took her to Shepherd’s Counseling Ministry for “couple’s counseling,” according to the suit, saying she needed to cope with the death of her mother.
While there, the girl reportedly disclosed the abuse to a man named Jerry O’Connell, a former pastor of Richfield Church who resigned in 2005 to start Shepherd’s Counseling.
The lawsuit accuses O’Connell of dismissing the abuse and failing to report it to authorities. He allegedly blamed the victim for the abuse, calling her a “temptation” and saying she was going to hell.
She did not return to Shepherd’s Counseling after that.
Later that summer, however, she was raped by Wagner, the suit says.
Shepherd’s Fold Counseling Ministry, registered at 167 Church Street in Richfield, Juniata County, is a nonprofit that operates as an extension and sponsored ministry of both Richfield Church and Cedar Grove.
Richfield Church and Cedar Grove control all their ministries, including Shepherd’s Counseling, and their administrations were “inextricable intertwined,” the filing says.
The lawsuit claims all three religious entities are responsible for failing to report the abuse, which had they done, likely would have prevented Wagner from raping her.
The lawsuit claims that despite the defendants knowing about Wagner’s abuse, they took no action to protect he girl from Wagner and failed to act as a Mandated Reporter.
The suit claims negligence, carelessness and recklessness in failing to establish adequate child abuse prevention policies, screenings and training. It also claims the victim suffered severe emotional distress and suffering.
The suit seeks punitive damages for the defendants’ acts.
CBS 21 has reached out to Shepherd’s Fold Counseling Ministry, Richfield Life Ministries Church, and Cedar Grove Brethren in Christ Church for comment on the allegations.
Cedar Grove Brethren responded saying it was aware of the lawsuit and that, because of the case involving pending litigation, it couldn’t comment.
The Church cannot comment on the specific allegations or the claims asserted in the complaint. The allegations contained in the complaint represent the plaintiffs’ assertions only. Cedar Grove intends to respond through the judicial process, where the facts and legal issues can be addressed in the appropriate forum. Accordingly, we respectfully decline to comment further at this time. Thank you for your understanding.