Deported Priest Faces Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of a woman who says she was sexually abused by a priest in the Crookston Diocese.

Megan Peterson claims Father Joseph Jeyapaul had sexual contact with her multiple times as a teenager in 2004.

Last year, Jeyapaul was deported after he pleaded guilty to a criminal sexual conduct charge in Roseau County.

The lawsuit seeks damages from Jeyapaul’s home diocese in India.

In 2011, Peterson received a $750,000 settlement from the Crooskton diocese.