Illinois Woman Accuses Pastor of Assault
Says He Used Managerial Position to Intimidate Her
An Illinois woman who was allegedly assaulted by a deacon and youth pastor at North Love Baptist Church in Rockford in the early 2000s is seeking unspecified damages in a civil lawsuit that says the church and an affiliated senior care facility kept him on staff despite knowledge of the abuse.
The seven-count complaint filed in May alleges that the woman, who was a minor at the time, was sexually assaulted by John Neese from 2004 to 2006, including “inappropriate touching, fondling, masturbation, groping and other sexual acts,” the Rockford Register Star reported.
The woman, now 32, attended the church and was also a food service worker at Independence Village (pictured), where Neese held a managerial position.
She said Neese used his authority to intimidate her into not revealing the abuse but said that the church and retirement facility should have been aware of his “inappropriate actions with minors” anyway.
A court hearing is set for Sept. 1.
Another North Love Baptist Church employee, Charles Tucker of Machesney Park, was found guilty in March 2018 of multiple sex crimes against children and is serving a life sentence in the Menard Correctional Center, per the Register Star.
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