A former inmate at the Southern Maine Women’s Re-entry Center who claims she was repeatedly raped by an ex-corrections officer filed a lawsuit on Wednesday in federal court seeking unspecified damages.
The 32-year-old Knox County woman sued Josh Dall-Leighton, 31, of Standish, the state of Maine and Department of Corrections officials, including Commissioner Joseph Fitzpatrick.
The former inmate — who is not being identified by the Bangor Daily News because she is the victim of an alleged sexual assault — also claims that Dall-Leighton gave her a sexually transmitted disease.
Dall-Leighton was indicted in November by the York County grand jury on five counts of gross sexual assault and one count of unlawful sexual contact for the same conduct described in the civil complaint. His criminal attorney, Neal Weinstein of Old Orchard Beach, said Wednesday that Dall-Leighton has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges and is scheduled for a dispositional conference later this summer at the York County Courthouse.
Weinstein said Wednesday he did not yet know if he would defend Dall-Leighton but said his client denies allegations that he sexually assaulted the inmate.
An attorney on the civil case is not listed on the court’s electronic case filing system.
Efforts to reach the York County district attorney’s office late Wednesday afternoon to determine the status of the case were unsuccessful. Emails to the Department of Corrections seeking comment on the lawsuit were not returned immediately.
Dall-Leighton in June 2015 made headlines for donating a kidney to a woman who had sought a donor by putting a written plea in the back window of her car. The alleged sexual assault took place after the transplant in late 2015 and early 2016, according to the complaint.
The woman claims that Dall-Leighton raped her in the transport van when he would drive her to work and to classes that were part of her pre-release program at the center, located in Alfred. The 31-page complaint, filed by her attorney, Ezra Willey of Bangor, details when and how the ex-officer allegedly sexually assaulted her and, later, pressured her to cover it up.
The DOC investigated the alleged incidents after a fellow inmate the victim confided in reported it to officials.
The complaint said that the inmate unsuccessfully tried to avoid his alleged advances and tried to change jobs so she would be transported to a different officer. Dall-Leighton also allegedly sent texts to the woman when she was home on furloughs and the two exchanged photos of each others’ genitals.
The woman now is moving forward with her life, Willey said Wednesday.
“I’m extremely proud of her,” he said. “She’s working very hard at re-establishing her life.”
If convicted of the criminal charges, Dall-Leighton could face up to 10 years in prison and be fined up to $20,000.
The woman could recover damages from Dall-Leighton and the state if she proves the DOC was negligent in supervising the former corrections officer.