Christian Network Ordered To Pay $2 Million Molestation Settlement To Granddaughter Of Their Late Founders

The Los Angeles Times reports:

Wearing thick rouge and her trademark pink wigs, Jan Crouch was the abiding face of the Trinity Broadcasting Network, offering Christian-inspired guidance to help viewers around the world improve their lives.

But in recent weeks, jurors in an Orange County courtroom saw a different side of Crouch — who co-founded the evangelical network with her husband, Paul Crouch Sr. — after a granddaughter accused her of turning her back when she reported she was sexually abused.

Carra Crouch said that in 2006, at age 13, she was sexually assaulted in an Atlanta hotel room by a 30-year-old Trinity employee. When she told her grandmother, Jan Crouch blamed her for what happened and never reported the incident to police, Carra Crouch alleged. On Monday, the jury awarded Carra Crouch $2 million for her years of emotional trauma and future suffering, finding that Jan Crouch’s response caused outrageous harm.

Michael King, an attorney for Trinity, said the nonprofit organization was “inclined to appeal.” Jan and Paul Crouch have died since the lawsuit was filed in 2012, but they disputed their granddaughter’s allegations, which were among a cluster of legal actions that have drawn negative publicity to the Costa Mesa-based televangelism empire.