A lawsuit filed earlier this month claims Bible Baptist Church in Fairbanks has created an environment that lets men in positions of power abuse church members.
The plaintiff suing the church is the victim in a criminal child sex abuse case that involves former Bible Baptist youth pastor David Duffett. Duffett pleaded guilty in that case in August, accepting an agreement that convicted him on one count of attempted second-degree sexual abuse of a minor.
The guilty plea came about a year and a half after he was charged for having repeated sexual encounters with the victim in 2008, when she was 16 and he was 29. According to a sentencing memo, Duffett taught her at a bible camp while working as a youth pastor for Bible Baptist Church, which she also attended.
Attorney Reilly Cosgrove is representing the plaintiff in the civil action, which also names Duffett as a defendant, in addition to the church.
“This lawsuit is about accountability. We want to hold them accountable for the horrible sexual abuse that my client has suffered,” he said in a brief interview Tuesday.
The new lawsuit has one plaintiff, though it says the church has failed to rectify abuse and has shamed victims – plural – when they came forward. Cosgrove said he believes the facts will justify that claim, but he declined to provide additional details about what other incidents that refers to.
Bible Baptist Church has been tied to adjudicated sex abuse crimes and other accusations in recent years. That includes the summer of 2024, when people raised concerns about a registered sex offender working the Bible Baptist booth at the Tanana Valley State Fair.
Representatives from Bible Baptist Church did not return multiple requests for an interview Tuesday and Wednesday.
David Duffett’s plea agreement last year included a sentence of 12 years with six suspended and 15 years of probation. His sentencing hearing in the criminal case is scheduled for next week Jan. 26.
There are no hearings scheduled yet for the lawsuit, which was filed Jan. 6 in Fairbanks Superior Court. It requests a jury trial and damages in excess of $100,000.