A Texas pastor has been ordered to pay tens of millions of {dollars} to a lady he met on-line after giving her a sexually transmitted illness.
A Harris County jury discovered Ralph Douglas West II, the assistant pastor at The Church With out Partitions in Houston, accountable for knowingly having herpes earlier than he had an unprotected sexual tryst with a lady in 2018 after which mendacity about it afterward.
In accordance with KPRC 2 Studios in Houston, West sought out the unidentified lady on Fb, and the 2 quickly had a rendezvous that resulted in sexual activity. In accordance with the court docket paperwork and testimony, the girl nearly instantly skilled bodily signs in keeping with genital herpes and consulted medical professionals who confirmed it.
After testing constructive for the STD, the girl instantly knew the assistant pastor gave it to her as a result of she mentioned she had not had intercourse in over two years.
When the feminine sufferer confronted West, he initially lied and mentioned he was not a service of herpes. Nonetheless, she may affirm that he was the service by means of medical data. West later admitted that he bought the illness from the mom of his youngsters.
The jury discovered West responsible of battery, intentional infliction of emotional misery, and fraudulent concealment. The jury’s verdict included $1,450,000 in compensatory damages and one other $1,000,000 in exemplary/punitive damages as a result of the girl should stay with the STD for the rest of her life.
The girl’s legal professional, Shaun Murphy, mentioned the jury’s judgment relieved and vindicated his shopper. Nonetheless, Murphy hastened to say that “you may’t repair it” as a result of “she’s bought it for the remainder of her life.”
West is now not listed on the megachurch web site, however nobody from the church has returned repeated inquiries for remark.
