A former assistant pastor of the Vineyard of Faith Lutheran Church, Christopher Benson, is being sued for unspecified monetary damages for alleged inappropriate touching when the accuser was 13 years old, reports the PressDemocrat.com. The church, the ex-pastor and the Missouri headquarters as well as the regional Lutheran council are all named in the lawsuit.
The suit alleges that there was a long string of sexual misconduct that occurred between Benson and the boy, starting in 2000. The former pastor denies that the charges are true. The Sonoma County Sheriff's Department has also opened an investigation into the claim. It is alleged that the sexual misconduct, which included "intimate touching" in order to "comfort" took place with other young church members during the time as well.
It took the man several years to decide to go forward with the lawsuit.
If you or a loved one has been a victim of clergy abuse, it may be difficult to consider taking your claim to court. It has been shown to be helpful to victims to get help from a clergy sex abuse attorney to advise in how to proceed. In many cases, the victim is not named. The legal team at the Zalkin Law Firm will assist you in making your claim for compensation in clergy abuse cases, and has helped countless individuals in such a circumstance successfully.
