Formal complaint alleges rape of woman by officer
BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer

JACKSON - A former female confidential informant for the Jackson Police Department has filed a complaint in U.S. District Court seeking a trial by jury and financial damages against a Jackson police detective and other police personnel.

The complaint was filed on behalf of the woman by attorney Robert F. Varady. It follows by almost one year Varady's initial notice to the township that he was planning to sue on behalf of the former confidential police informant.

Named as defendants in the 10-page complaint are Jackson Township, the Jackson Police Department, Detective Anthony Senatore, Public Safety Director Samuel DiPasquale, Capt. Christopher Dutton (there is a Capt. Christopher Dunton in the department), Lt. John Siedler, Detective Sgt. Denis Campbell and John Does 1-20 (presently unknown agents, members, commissioners, chiefs, representatives or employees of the police department).

The complaint claims the plaintiff's constitutional and civil rights were violated, that sexual assault and battery were committed upon her, that officers failed to prevent sexual assault and battery, and it alleges negligent and intentional infliction of severe physical injury and emotional harm.

Attorney Tom Monahan, representing Jackson, said the complaint was new to him and he had no comment at this time. Monahan's firm was not the township attorney in 2005 at the time the woman's attorney filed a notice of her intent to sue the police officials.

Varady did not return calls to his office seeking comment.

The complaint alleges Senatore sought out the woman for the purpose of soliciting, recruiting and procuring her services as a confidential informant to provide information and other assistance involving drug related activities in and around her neighborhood in Jackson.

In exchange for her services as a confidential informant, the complaint alleges Senatore promised to provide the informant with financial compensation and guaranteed judicial and prosecutorial considerations with respect to her children and estranged husband, all of whom had been the subject of numerous police investigations carried out by Jackson police.

The complaint alleges that between April and August 2005, Senator violated the woman's rights. The complaint claims that between April and July 2005, "by means of intimidation, threat, harassment, coercion and/or promises of judicial and prosecutorial consideration for plaintiff and her family, Senatore repeatedly propositioned and solicited plaintiff for sexual relations, and during that time, habitually engaged in sexual relations with plaintiff in her home, in police vehicles, and in wooded locations in and around the Township of Jackson."

The complaint alleges that from late April through July 2005, "Senatore's deviant, predatory behavior intensified, culminating in a savagely brutal rape/sexual assault against plaintiff in her home, as plaintiff, having become fearful of Senatore's increasingly insatiable, salacious demands, tried to end the relationship."

The complaint states that the woman became pregnant as a result of the July 25, 2005, rape by Senatore and gave birth to a son on March 26.

The other police personnel named in the complaint are alleged to have failed in their duty to properly train and supervise Senatore "in the fundamental law of police procedures and protocol in dealing with confidential informants."

The complaint states that lack of proper training and supervision "caused police officers, including Senatore, to believe that sexual harassment was within their discretion and that complaints of sexual harassment would not be honestly or property investigated, with the foreseeable result that officers, including Senatore, would be likely to sexually harass and/or assault female criminal defendants, confidential informants and other female members of the public."

Jackson police Capt. David Newman said Senatore remains with the department and is assigned to administrative duties.

The complaint asks for judgment against all defendants as follows: judgment for compensatory damages; judgment for punitive damages and exemplary damages, and any and all other damages allowed by law; judgment for all equitable and other relief as the court deems just and proper; and judgment of attorney's fees with interest and costs of suit.