SANTA ANA, Calif. (CN) - The granddaughter of Trinity Broadcasting Network founder Paul Crouch Sr. claims in court that she was drugged and raped by an employee of the Christian broadcaster, and that the Christian TV network hushed it up to avoid bad publicity.
Carra Crouch sued Trinity Christian Center of Santa Ana Inc., in Orange County Superior Court, alleging sexual battery and four other charges. Defendant Trinity, which does business as Trinity Broadcasting Network, is the biggest Christian TV chain in the United States.
The corporation and Does 1-20 are the only named defendants in the complaint, though it identifies numerous Trinity officials, including Jan Crouch, vice president of Trinity Broadcasting, an ordained minister and Carra's grandmother; Jan's husband Paul Crouch Sr., president of Trinity Broadcasting and an ordained minister; Stephen L. Smith, who "was an employee of Trinity Broadcasting and was 30 years old at the time of the incident giving rise to this complaint"; and John Casoria, "an officer of Trinity Broadcasting, an attorney, an ordained minister, and second cousin of Plaintiff. John is the nephew of Paul and Jan," according to the complaint.
Carra Crouch claims says she was 13 when Stephen Smith drugged and raped her in a hotel room while she was attending a Trinity fundraiser and telethon in Atlanta, in April 2006.
Carra claims that when she reported the incident to her grandmother, Jan Crouch told her that it was her fault she had been raped.
The complaint states:
"During the telethon one evening, Smith approached plaintiff in the hotel and began talking to her about the telethon in general and how she thought everything was going. Smith coerced himself into plaintiff's hotel room in order to further discuss the telethon and other relevant Trinity Broadcasting business activity. ...
"Once in plaintiff's room, Smith ordered a bottle of wine from room service on Trinity Broadcasting's account. Plaintiff is informed, believes, and based thereon alleges that Trinity Broadcasting makes a regular practice of providing alcohol to its employees during business meetings. Smith proceeded to coerce the plaintiff to drink the wine in an attempt to get her intoxicated and plaintiff, in fact, drank the wine under duress and became intoxicated.
"Plaintiff began asking Smith to leave her room and he responded by giving her a glass of water to 'help her feel better.' Plaintiff drank the glass of water and passed out immediately. Plaintiff believes the water contained a date rape drug which caused her to pass out.
"Ms. Crouch awoke the next morning with Smith laying next to her, blood on her bed sheets, and severe pain and soreness in her body in places which indicated she had been molested and raped.
"Ms. Crouch locked herself in the bathroom and screamed at Smith to leave her room, which he eventually did. Ms. Crouch boarded a flight later that day back to her home in CA."
The complaint continues:
"The Report of the Battery and Sexual Battery by Plaintiff
"Ms. Crouch was distraught over what happened, and upon the advice of her mother, decided to talk with Jan and John about what happened.