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A woman has filed a civil lawsuit alleging she was raped by a Cottonwood Heights police officer at motel in the summer of 2010.
Shauna Blue and her husband, Benjamin Blue, are suing Jeremy Lamph, who resigned from his job shortly after she reported the alleged sexual assault. Police Chief Robby Russo and the city of Cottonwood Heights are also named in the suit, which was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court.
The Tribune generally does not publish the names of alleged victims of sexual assault. In this case, attorney Robert Sykes said Blue will make a public statement about the lawsuit during a Thursday press conference.
On July 17, 2010, Blue, who had been drinking at a family gathering, and her husband got into an argument at their home. Police showed up and threaten to cite the two but agreed not to once she said she would leave, court documents say.
Shauna Blue was going to take a taxi to a motel, but Lamph insisted he would drive her, the lawsuit states. Once they were in the officer's car, "Lamph began to make inappropriate sexual comments about Mrs. Blue's appearance."
Blue planned to stay at a motel and asked Lamph to take her to an ATM where she could withdraw money to pay for the room. The complaint states that before allowing her to get the money, Lamph had her sign a citation for assault, to ensure that she did not run away and to show that he was "in control of her."
Unable to withdraw enough money for the hotel room, Shauna Blue asked the officer to take her to jail, court documents say. Instead, Lamph took $25 from his pocket, which he had taken from Benjamin Blue earlier, and gave it to her. The lawsuit doesn't explain why the officer had taken $25 from Benjamin Blue.
The officer left her at the motel but continued to text her, the lawsuit says. Lamph returned to the motel the same night to take photos of a facial injury she had complained about earlier. Blue said she was still intoxicated and took several sleeping pills.
Even though she did not want Lamph in her motel room, he was insistent on taking the photos in her room, the lawsuit says. After taking four photos, the lawsuit states, Lamph turned toward a TV as if to turn it off. When he turned back around to face Blue, his genitals were exposed. Blue said Lamph then grabbed her by the hair, forcefully pulled her clothes off and raped her.
According to the lawsuit, Lamph told Blue not to tell anyone about what had happened because his career and family would be ruined if they found out about his "secret."
Blue was severely injured in the attack and contracted an STD as a consequence of the rape, the lawsuit states.
The Blues are seeking an unspecified amount of damages.
Chief Russo could not be reached for comment on the lawsuit Wednesday. Cottonwood Heights Police Detective Mark Askerlund referred all questions to Russo.
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said the case was first screened in 2010 before he took office. It was then reviewed again in March 2011 by his office but it declined to file any criminal charges because of inconsistencies in statements and evidentiary concerns.
Attorney Greg Skordas, who represented Lamph in 2010 while he was a probationary employee for the department, said the lawsuit lacks merit. "My understanding is that he was cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent investigation."