Woman accuses Salvation Army member of sexually abusing her as a child

A woman is accusing a high-ranking Salvation Army member who once worked in Suffolk County of sexually abusing her as a child.

News 12 Staff

May 14, 2019, 9:58 PM

Updated 1,900 days ago

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A woman is accusing a high-ranking Salvation Army member who once worked in Suffolk County of sexually abusing her as a child.
Nicole Sprout claims she was raped "on a regular basis two to three times a week" between the ages of 13 and 16.
News 12 is not identifying the man Spout says abused her since he has not been criminally charged. But she says the abuse happened while she was attending the Salvation Army's church in East Northport and in the Buffalo area in the early 1990s. She says after years of abuse, she told her story to church officials, who did nothing.
On Tuesday, Sprout stood with her attorneys in front of the Salvation Army headquarters in Manhattan, demanding answers, because they say the man is still active within the church.
Sprout provided News 12 with online messages that she says came from her abuser, in which he apologizes for hurting her. But she says it’s not enough.
"I just want to make sure this is not happening to other people," Sprout says. "I can't trust that he is not doting this to other young people."
Sprout and her attorneys are looking into filing a civil lawsuit against the Salvation Army later this year. In the meantime, they say they'd like the organization to become more transparent when it comes to alleged sexual abuse.
The Salvation Army did not respond to requests for comment.


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