A lawsuit has reportedly been lodged against a prominent Sacramento church, the St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, alleging the former church pastor sexually abused his stepdaughter for years while church officials covered it up.

According to local news source ABC 10, John Bernard Black Sr. began abusing his stepdaughter in 1994. The complaint alleges that the abuse, including molestation and rape, occurred several times a week, at home and in a car in the parking lot of the church. The victim, now 37, alleges she was only 11 years old when the abuse began.

St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church is located in Sacramento. It reportedly boasts a congregation of 5,000. Its facilities allegedly include a ministry, school, and wellness center. According to the complaint, church officials, including the lead pastor and the plaintiff’s own mother knew of the abuse.

“My client was repeatedly sexually abused by her step-father during her childhood in her teenage years,” the plaintiff’s attorney told reporters. “And multiple people knew about it but failed to take steps to protect her.”

Indeed, the complaint names Black and the church, as well as a now-retired pastor and the victim’s mother as defendants.

Victim Singled Out by Pastor

According to the complaint, the plaintiff was shown extra attention by Black when he moved into their house, shortly before he married her mother. Black allegedly snuck up to her room at night and sexually assaulted her. The plaintiff says that when she told her mother, her mother dismissed her concerns, telling her daughter that Black was only checking on her.

However, the assaults continued and began to take place during the day. She says that her teenage years were filled with “dread and fear” because of the continued assaults. The plaintiff says that, at one point, she reported the assaults to the police, but was pressured by her mother to recant her report. Allegedly, her mother told her that she and her siblings would be sent to foster care if the police got involved.

Other Church Officials Knew of Abuse

Allegedly, the victim’s mother consulted other church officials, including the head pastor, about the abuse; however, the plaintiff says that when she went to see the head pastor he told her to stop lying about Black.

“Defendants knew or should have known about John Black’s assault of [the plaintiff] but failed to take reasonable actions to stop it and, on the contrary sought to cover it up by, among other things, intimidating [the plaintiff] into remaining silent and limiting the authorities’ access to her,” states the complaint.

The plaintiff says that she suffered and still suffers from physical and emotional injuries from the abuse. She accuses the defendants of battery, assault, the intentional infliction of emotional distress, and of violating California violence and sexual assault laws. She also accuses the church of negligent hiring, supervision, and retention.

“This lawsuit is about truth and accountability,” the plaintiff reportedly stated in a video. “I’m looking through this lawsuit to have the truth come out, and for those who have hurt me to be held accountable for that.”

For its part, the now-head pastor at the church said it has not faced such a scandal in its 70-year history, reports the Sacramento Observer.

“As a church, we take these matters seriously and will cooperate with any law enforcement investigation,” the reverend reportedly wrote in a letter to the congregation regarding the lawsuit. “Please lift up in prayer the plaintiff and all the defendants.”

The St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church Lawsuit is Case No. 34-20-0028488 in the Superior Court of the State of California in and for the County of Sacramento-Unlimited Jurisdiction.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.