BOISE (CN) - An Idaho State policeman forced a woman to have sex in his squad car in a police parking lot and told her he would "ruin her life" and arrest her if she told anyone, she claims in Federal Court.
Officer Ryan Blackhawk's sexual assault was the culmination of a series of outrages, in which he told her to "show the judge some nipple" to duck federal charges, sent her "sexually charged and suggestive" texts, told her "he 'had a lot of ties' and could help her," even as he was testifying about her to a grand jury, the woman claims in her lawsuit.
Ashlyn Moreno sued Idaho, the Idaho State Police, and police Officers Ryan Blackhawk and Paul Olsen, on eight counts, on Aug. 26.
Moreno claims that defendant Olsen installed a GPS tracking device on a Chevrolet Blazer in Pocatello in 2013. She says she a friend named Casper loaned her his car, yet police bugged it to look for a different man.
She says police wanted to nab Ryan Dalley, who is not a party to the case. The complaint does not say why police were looking for Dalley.
Moreno claims that Olsen placed the tracking device on the car a day before he got a warrant to do so, and that Blackhawk then tried to arrest Dalley, but missed him. According to Moreno's lawsuit, Dalley "was gone" and she was standing outside the Blazer when police arrived. Blackhawk held her at gunpoint, other officers arrived, and she was handcuffed and ordered to her knees while the officers demanded to know where Dalley was.
Moreno says she told Blackhawk repeatedly that she did not know where Dalley was, but he threatened her for an hour with arrest and criminal charges, as she knelt in handcuffs.
During this time, she says, Blackhawk planted illegal mushrooms in her purse, told her "not to worry," that "he could help her," and gave her his card. Moreno claims that Dalley was ultimately charged with possession of the planted contraband, and though she was not charged with that, she was charged with state offenses, which were dismissed, And then with federal charges.
"Scared and not knowing what else might happen, Ms. Moreno decided to find out what she would be required to do to get Blackhawk and ISP's [Idaho State Police] 'help,'" she says in the complaint.
She says: "Blackhawk told her that he would come by, pick her up, and after getting coffee they would discuss her case."
Blackhawk did not take her out for coffee but drove her around in police vehicle, told her he "had a lot of ties," and suggested that "as a possible solution to her problems, that she could 'show the judge some nipple,'" Moreno says in the complaint.
On the next day, Moreno says, Blackhawk began texting her with "sexually charged and suggestive messages" including a request for a "B.J.," and, "if you're not going to give it to me, I'm just going to have to take it."
Blackhawk picked her up that evening to "help" her with her federal charges, then drove her to a State Police parking lot, where he "forcibly grabbed Ms. Moreno by the back of her head, aggressively pulled her on top of him, and began to kiss Ms. Moreno vigorously," the complaint states.
Moreno says she was "not entirely surprised" by the attack, but was scared, helpless, and confused. "She wanted and needed Blackhawk's help in her case, and she knew this is what he wanted in exchange for his help," according to the complaint.
After the forced sex, she says, she pushed him away, and he drove to a convenience store and bought her a beer.
"Before Blackhawk let Ms. Moreno out of the ISP vehicle, he threatened Ms. Moreno that if she told anyone what happened he would ruin her life, she would be arrested and she would not get out of jail," the complaint adds.
Moreno says the unspecified federal charges against her were dropped when the U.S. Attorney's Office "discovered [the] defendants' conduct."
Idaho State Police did not respond to requests for comment Thursday. Moreno says the police took her cell phone while investigating Blackhawk and have not returned it.
Moreno seeks punitive damages for unreasonable search and seizure, excessive force and sexual harassment.
She is represented by Bron Rammell with May, Rammell & Thompson, of Pocatello.
Searches of Idaho records and newspapers did not turn up any criminal charges against Blackhawk.
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