Lawsuit: Mom Forced to Have Sex to Keep Son

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Lawsuit: Mom Forced to Have Sex to Keep

Son

Woman claims mental health counselor forced

her to have sex to keep child

By HANK TESTER

and BRIAN HAMACHER

Updated 9:44 AM EDT, Thu, Mar 24, 2011

A mother claims a Fort Lauderdale

mental health center counselor forced her to have sex with him by

threatening to take her son away from her.

A lawsuit filed Wednesday claims Mervin Span, a counselor at Mental Health

Center, engaged the unidentified woman "in unwanted sexual

relations on multiple occasions" under the threat that he would

have the young boy taken away from her.

The woman had received case management and

counseling services from

following a court proceeding involving custody of her son.

Span was the counselor assigned to the woman's

family, according to the lawsuit filed by attorney Herman.

Officials at Mental Health Clinic did

not specifically respond to the allegations, but did release a

statement Wednesday.

" Mental Health Center has an

incredibly committed professional staff who helps thousands of

families each year. If any part of these allegations were true,

the actions would be that of a rogue employee," CFO Dr.

Ronik wrote. "Anyone familiar with our history, reputation and

organizational culture knows our priorities and how we’d never,

ever tolerate something as inappropriate as the allegations

suggest. At the present time we have not received any lawsuit.

"With that said, we take these allegations

extremely seriously and will thoroughly investigate the matter."

Herman claims the abuse began this past

November, when Span sexually assaulted the woman on his first

solo visit to her house. He allegedly kissed her neck and patted

her buttocks, but the woman was terrified that if she reported

it Span would retaliate and she'd lose her child.

During a December visit to her house, Span

allegedly rubbed his genitals on hers, then demanded she cook

him breakfast and proceeded to nap on her couch for several

hours.

On New Year's Eve, it's alleged Span walked

into the woman's home unannounced, performed oral sex on her

against her will and then raped her repeatedly without a condom.

The lawsuit also claims Span demanded in

January that the woman come to his home for sex, and that she

did so twice under the fear of losing her child.

Herman claims the woman made several attempts

to have a new counselor assigned to the case. In February, the

woman told a friend about the alleged abuse and the friend

reported Span to .

Herman said his client had become so depressed

she tried to commit suicide.

The lawsuit says "knew or should

have known that Span was a sexual opportunist." The woman is

seeking damages in excess of $5 million.

First Published: Mar 23, 2011 11:29 AM EDT