Child-molest suspect also faces civil lawsuit

WOODLAND — The two alleged victims in a Davis child molestation case filed a civil lawsuit against the defendant last September, according to documents on file in Yolo Superior Court.

Identified in the suit as “John Doe 5″ and “John Doe 6,” the alleged victims claim Justin Prentice Morejohn “was introduced to, gained access to, and was able to sexually molest and abuse each plaintiff because of and arising out of the relationship of the parties at and fellow membership in the Grace Valley Christian Center,” a church located on County Road 98.

The church also is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, along with Morejohn’s parents Dwight and Kate Morejohn, who are accused of being negligent in their supervision of Justin Morejohn.

“Grace Valley Christian Center was further negligent in failing to warn plaintiffs, their families, and each of them, of the propensity of Justin Morejohn to commit sexual abuse upon minor boys, a propensity of which Grace Valley Christian Center had actual and constructive notice,” the suit alleges.

The lawsuit has yet to be served on any of its defendants, Grace Valley Christian Center spokeswoman Carla Hass told The Davis Enterprise this week. She declined to address the allegations.

“To respond to something we haven’t been served with would be irresponsible and purely hypothetical,” Hass said. “We’re still dumbfounded that we’re named in any lawsuit since none of the alleged incidents involved church leaders, took place on church property, or during church activities.”

The civil suit seeks $100,000 in past and future therapy expenses for each of the plaintiffs — both now in their 20s and no longer Davis residents — as well as “substantial” general damages, court documents show.

Justin Morejohn, 31, declined an interview request Wednesday at the Yolo County Jail, where he’s being held in lieu of $1 million bail in the child-molest case. His parents could not be reached for comment.

Morejohn, a California Highway Patrol officer, turned himself in Jan. 19 on a warrant issued by the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office. The 10 criminal counts stem from an investigation by the Davis Police Department that began last August.

Hayward attorney Richard Simons, who represents the alleged victims, said he filed the lawsuit as the investigation of Morejohn was under way because the statute of limitations for one of the plaintiffs was about to expire.

“It’s still a question as to what will happen in the civil case,” Simons said. “Once the criminal case is resolved, that will give us some guidance as to what, if anything, we should pursue on the civil side.”

Prosecutors allege Morejohn committed lewd and lascivious acts with two children who were under the age of 14 between July 1999 and December 2001 — years before he first became a CHP officer in 2007.

Neither the criminal nor the civil-court documents specify where or under what circumstances the alleged incidents occurred.

Morejohn’s defense attorney, M. Bradley Wishek, says his client is innocent of the allegations.

“This is a good man, an honest man and a family man, and I’m honored to represent him,” Wishek said following Morejohn’s arraignment hearing Monday. “This is an unjust prosecution.”

Morejohn is due back in court Feb. 10 to enter a plea to the criminal charges. He has been placed on leave from the CHP, where he was most recently assigned to the Capitol protection unit in Sacramento.

— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net or (530) 747-8048. Follow her on Twitter @laurenkeene

Short URL: http://www.davisenterprise.com/?p=130088

Posted by Lauren Keene on Jan 25 2012.
Last Login: Mon 21 May 2012 04:26:23 PM PDT
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