VIRGINIA BEACH
A 20-year-old woman who says she was sexually abused by her father filed a lawsuit against him about a year and a half after criminal charges were dropped.
In the complaint, filed in Circuit Court earlier this month, Sarah Lesinski alleges that Dr. Francis Lesinski, a Portsmouth dentist, molested her for nearly a decade, until October 2002, when she was 14. The lawsuit is seeking $10 million in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages.
"Yes, this case is unusual and has an unusual history," said Carl Isbrandtsen, a White Stone attorney who represents the young woman. "The situation is egregious."
He said his client - who, according to court documents, is undergoing therapy - decided to go public with her charges because her father had already identified her in the news media when the case came to light.
In 2005, two girls, including Sarah Lesinski, told police that Dr. Lesinski had sexually abused them for years in the city's Church Point and Bellamy Manor neighborhoods.
By April 2006, Dr. Lesinski had been charged with taking indecent liberties and aggravated sexual battery. His attorney at the time said the charges were levied during a period of ongoing financial disputes after a divorce between Dr. Lesinski and his wife.
In November 2006, after several hearings in Circuit Court, prosecutors decided not to proceed against Dr. Lesinski.
A month later, Dr. Lesinski sued his accusers, ex-wife and her new husband, asserting that they had conspired to concoct the allegations so he would comply with financial and custodial obligations.
Eight months later, Dr. Lesinski, who stated in his complaint that the fallout had hurt his reputation and that of his dental practice, withdrew his lawsuit.
Dr. Lesinski referred requests for comments on his daughter's claims to his attorney, who did not return two telephone calls Tuesday.
"This has had a dramatic effect on this young girl," Isbrandtsen said of his client. "We'll just have to let a jury decide who is telling the truth."
Duane Bourne, (757) 222-5150, duane.bourne@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
