A federal lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon claims that religious leaders in Ridgefield failed to intervene after being alerted to allegations that an area man was sexually abusing a minor he had adopted. The complaint, brought by an adult plaintiff proceeding under the pseudonym "Julie Doe," accuses the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of negligence, arguing that internal protocols were prioritized over child protection. The plaintiff, currently a resident of Pierce County, Washington, seeks a total of $25 million in damages, including punitive restitution.
Failure to Report
According to court records, the plaintiff entered foster care with a Ridgefield couple in 2013 and was formally adopted by them the following year. By 2015, the family was participating in a local church ward within a stake near Ridgefield, where the adoptive father took part in Sacrament meetings and the plaintiff served as a counselor in a youth organization.
The filing alleges that in late December 2015, the 31-year-old adoptive father began sexually abusing the plaintiff, who was 15 at the time. In the spring of 2016, the adoptive mother discovered explicit correspondence written by her husband to the teenager, as well as an adult toy he had procured for her. The adoptive mother presented this material to local Bishop and Stake President Wade Pickett.
President Pickett reviewed a letter in which the adoptive father expressed a desire to remain with the minor "forever." Despite this, the complaint asserts that Pickett did not contact law enforcement, conduct an investigation, or take steps to halt the abuse.
Abuse Escalates Across State Lines
The lawsuit claims that due to the church's alleged inaction, the adoptive father was able to separate from his wife, retrieve the minor from a trip to Montana, and relocate her to an apartment in Albany, Oregon. While residing together in Oregon, the filing states the plaintiff was subjected to near-daily sexual abuse and rape. During this period, the pair continued to attend local church services. Even after Albany church leaders allegedly observed risqué images the man likened to the plaintiff and noted "unusual" interactions between them, the institution reportedly took no action to safeguard her.
Vancouver Police Uncover the Truth
The abuse was ultimately halted not by church intervention, but by a note passed in a Washington school. In the fall of 2016, the adoptive father's youngest daughter gave a note to a classmate stating, “I wish my teacher knew that we think my dad had sex with sister.” The classmate's mother immediately contacted the Vancouver Police Department.
The Vancouver Police Department and the Washington Department of Social and Health Services launched an investigation. During an interview with DSHS, Stake President Pickett acknowledged that the adoptive mother had previously notified him of the abuse and shown him the incriminating letters.
Criminal Convictions
The adoptive father is currently serving a prison sentence following multiple criminal convictions. He was convicted of incest and child molestation in Clark County, Washington, in 2018 for the abuse of another adopted daughter. He was later convicted of incest and rape regarding the plaintiff in Linn County, Oregon, in 2021, and again in Clark County, Washington, in 2022.
Institutional Cover-Up Allegations
Plaintiffs argue that the case highlights widespread institutional practices within the religious organization. The legal filing contends that the church directs its leaders to contact an internal support line, referred to as the "Abuse Help Line," upon receiving reports of mistreatment, rather than notifying civil law enforcement. This procedure allegedly ensures that details of the incident are processed primarily by the denomination's legal team.
Additionally, the suit asserts that the organization routinely discards paperwork generated by personnel working on that support line.