Victim Of Jailed Former Pittsburgh Police Officer Files Lawsuit
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Former Pittsburgh police officer Adam Skweres is in jail, sentenced to three and half years after pleading guilty to sexual assault and intimidation charges.
One of his alleged victims, who says she still suffers, has now filed suit against both Skweres and the City of Pittsburgh.
When she had her purse stolen back in 2008, Christie Leonard, a mother of three from Knoxville, called the Pittsburgh Police for help. But she says the responding officer, Skweres, threatened her instead.
"He would make me lose my children if I didn't perform sexual favors for him," said Leonard.
In her lawsuit, Leonard says Skweres swore he would arrest her or report her to Children, Youth and Families if she did not perform oral sex. She did not comply.
KDKA's Andy Sheehan: "And you were living in fear after this."
Leonard: "Yeah, I was really scared. Every time I saw a police car, I would hide, avoid it. I was having nightmares about it."
But adding insult to injury, she says the Pittsburgh Bureau turned a deaf ear, that she and another woman reported Skweres, and even submitted to and passed lie detector tests.
"I didn't hear anything after that. Nothing at all," she said.
Attorney Alan Perer says Skweres victimized four more women because of the city's inaction.
"How high up did this information go? What was done with this information? Why was there nothing done?" said Perer.
The city law department couldn't be reached for comment, but the suit is seeking unspecified financial damages alleging negligence on the part of the city.
"Is this part of a larger problem that we're seeing with the Pittsburgh police? Is there a systemic breakdown in the police department or is this just an isolated incident. I don't think so," said Perer.
This will not be the end of the fallout surrounding Skweres, a half dozen more civil suits are expected.
RELATED LINKS:
Former Officer Pleads Guilty To Soliciting Sexual Favors (3/11/13)
Fired Pittsburgh Officer Skweres: I Am Innocent (3/12/15)
Other Reports on Adam Skweres
