PITTSBURGH – A western Pennsylvania couple are suing a pair of Pittsburgh homeowners and their nanny for negligence, after their four year-old daughter was allegedly molested in the defendants’ home.
Andrew Steinmetz and Aimee Morewood (representing their daughter A.S., a minor) of Harrison City filed suit in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on May 26, versus Nancy Essay, Charles Tedrick and Mary Tedrick (representing their son J.T., a minor), all of Pittsburgh.
According to the lawsuit, Essay was hired as an in-home nanny by the Tedricks to supervise their minor son, J.T. With the Tedricks’ permission, Essay also began to watch and care for other neighborhood children inside the Tedricks’ home. One of them was the minor plaintiff, A.S., who was left at the home by the adult plaintiffs.
“On or about July 25, 2018, A.S. was at the Tedrick residence, being watched by Essay. At some point, Essay left A.S., a four year-old girl, in the basement of the Tedrick residence with J.T., a 14 year-old boy. While in the basement, without supervision, J.T. inappropriately touched A.S. and then asked A.S. to inappropriately touch him. A.S. told her parents about the incident. The following morning, A.S. was taken to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh,” the suit states.
J.T. was charged with various offenses and in January 2019, entered into a consent decree with an adjudication of guilt to charges of indecent assault and indecent exposure, the suit says.
The plaintiffs believe the defendants’ collective negligence allowed their daughter to be assaulted by the minor defendant.
For multiple counts of negligence, negligence per se, negligent supervision and intentional sexual assault, the plaintiff is seeking damages in an amount in excess of $50,000, plus costs, interest and a trial by jury.
The plaintiffs are represented by John B. Cromer of Burke Cromer Cremonese, in Pittsburgh.
The defendants have not yet secured legal counsel.
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas case GD-20-006117
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com