NJ Church Leader Molested Teen Boy 50+ Times, Suit Claims

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — A man is claiming that a member of a Mormon church in New Jersey sexually assaulted him dozens of times since he was 13 years old.

In a recently filed lawsuit, a man, only referred to in court documents as John Doe, says that a member of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ subsidiary called Soldier Hill Ward, based in Emerson, sexually abused him in the late 1990s.

Specifically, the suit accuses then-Soldier Hill Ward President Lawrence W. Sardoni, Jr. of grooming and assaulting the boy.

According to court documents, Sardoni visited Doe’s home to recruit his family to attend Church services at the local Paterson in 1998. The suit says Sardoni “immediately showed an inappropriate interest in (Doe) and convinced him to continue attending Church services without his mother, assuring (Doe’s) mother (he) would be ‘fine.’”

Sardoni soon began inviting Doe to his home when his wife and children were not home, the suit states. Eventually, while the pair was home alone, Sardoni kissed Doe on the mouth, claiming he was trying to “detect whether (Doe) had been smoking cigarettes,” the suit reads.

The abuse escalated, from Sardoni fondling Doe’s privates while he drove them in his car, to performing oral sex on the middle schooler, the suit reads.

Once Sardoni began performing oral sex on Doe, he offered to pay for Doe’s tuition at the private Paterson Catholic High School, and to help Doe obtain a green card, as he was in the process of gaining immigration status at that time, the suit reads.

Doe’s mother agreed to let Sardoni pay for the school tuition, according to the suit.

The sexual abuse would continue for two years, according to the suit. It adds that Sardoni would threaten to take away Doe’s immigration status if he resisted his advances.

Sardoni eventually tried to convince Doe’s mother to let him move in with him so he could begin “adoption proceedings” that would lead Doe to a green card, the suit says.

Doe never moved in with Sardoni.

Eventually, Sardoni was investigated for assaulting Doe and two other victims, the suit reads.

Doe is not aware of any legal repercussions following the investigations into the sexual abuse, according to the suit.

Eventually, Sardoni moved to California as the abuse investigations commenced, court documents say.

Doe not only accuses Sardoni of molesting him, but also believes that the Soldier Hill Ward was aware of the abuse and did not take action.

As a result of the abuse, Doe has “suffered and continues to suffer great pain of mind and body, shock, emotional distress, anxiety, depression, sexual identity confusion, physical manifestations of emotional distress, embarrassment, loss of self-esteem, disgrace, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life,” the suit reads.

The lawsuit makes multiple claims of negligence against the church. As for Sardoni specifically, the suit highlights claims of assault and battery.

Patch has reached out to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints representatives, who were not immediately available for comment.