CONWAY, SC – (WBTW) A woman known as Jane Doe 1 who filed a lawsuit last year that she was sexually abused by a former Horry County police detective has taken her case to federal court alleging constitutional violations.
The case was filed against Horry County, Horry County Police Department, former Horry County Police Chief Saundra Rhodes, and supervising officers Scott Rutherford, Thomas Delpercio, William Squires and Dale Buchanan on December 15, 2016.
The lawsuit alleges Rhodes, Rutherford, DelPercio, Squires and Buchanan failed in their supervisory duties of Allen Large, ultimately damaging Jane Doe’s protections under the 14th Amendment.
The lawsuit says Jane Doe reported a sexual assault to police in December of 2013 and Large was assigned to investigate her case.
Over the course of the next six months, Large allegedly “engaged in a course of coercive behavior, unwanted sexual advances, and sexual assault,” the document says. The suit also says the detective used his Horry County issued vehicle and visually displayed his badge and police issued firearm and the victim was “ultimately unable to resist the unwanted sexual advances out of fear of retribution.”
The document also alleges the defendants possessed actual knowledge of Large’s inappropriate actions and propensity to harm vulnerable women and concealed that information, allowing the detective to continue to abuse women.
A summons was issued on December 16, 2016.
The woman is seeking punitive damages, costs and reasonable attorney fees in the lawsuit.