- Oct 17, 2011
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Pastor Mark Melhorn, 67, engaged in "extraordinary misconduct” at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center “under the guise of providing pastoral services,” according to a federal lawsuit obtained by The Independent.
...
From there, it says things got worse until Melhorn one day entered Doe’s cell and allegedly sexually assaulted her. He then warned Doe not to tell anybody about what had happened, because “even if she did, nothing would happen.”
Doe in fact reported Melhorn – twice – to higher-ups at Moshannon, the complaint says. And, according to the complaint, nothing happened.
“The system absolutely failed our client,” Doe’s attorney Trina Realmuto told The Independent. “It takes a lot of courage to speak up, [especially] when you're fighting an immigration case in a detention facility.”
[Doe also told a social worker.]
The social worker told Doe that she was obligated to report the allegations, under the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act, or, PREA, and that she was glad she spoke up “because Melhorn had done things like this before,” according to the complaint. This, the complaint asserts, was corroborated by a nurse at Moshannon Valley, who told Doe that Melhorn had earned a reputation at the facility as “a pervert.”
The 1,800-bed facility has been at the center of significant controversy, once again making headlines last month when a 32-year-old detainee from China died by suicide as he awaited a hearing with the DOJ’s Executive Office for Immigration Review.
ICE and the GEO Group [who operate the site] did not respond to requests for comment.
...
From there, it says things got worse until Melhorn one day entered Doe’s cell and allegedly sexually assaulted her. He then warned Doe not to tell anybody about what had happened, because “even if she did, nothing would happen.”
Doe in fact reported Melhorn – twice – to higher-ups at Moshannon, the complaint says. And, according to the complaint, nothing happened.
“The system absolutely failed our client,” Doe’s attorney Trina Realmuto told The Independent. “It takes a lot of courage to speak up, [especially] when you're fighting an immigration case in a detention facility.”
[Doe also told a social worker.]
The social worker told Doe that she was obligated to report the allegations, under the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act, or, PREA, and that she was glad she spoke up “because Melhorn had done things like this before,” according to the complaint. This, the complaint asserts, was corroborated by a nurse at Moshannon Valley, who told Doe that Melhorn had earned a reputation at the facility as “a pervert.”
The 1,800-bed facility has been at the center of significant controversy, once again making headlines last month when a 32-year-old detainee from China died by suicide as he awaited a hearing with the DOJ’s Executive Office for Immigration Review.
ICE and the GEO Group [who operate the site] did not respond to requests for comment.
