Lawsuit Alleges Secaucus Officer Sexually Abused Child in 1994

A man has filed a civil lawsuit against the City of Secaucus, the Secaucus Police Department, and a retired police officer, alleging he was sexually abused as a 12-year-old child by the officer in the fall of 1994.

The plaintiff, identified only as John Doe to protect his identity, filed the complaint May 21 in Hudson County Superior Court. He is currently employed as a police officer with the Jersey City Police Department. The defendant officer is identified as Walter Hurrell, who has since retired from the Secaucus Police Department.

According to the complaint, Hurrell was a sworn officer and supervisor within the department at the time of the alleged abuse. The plaintiff’s mother was employed as a police dispatcher for the department and was supervised by Hurrell. The complaint alleges Hurrell used his supervisory authority over the plaintiff’s mother to repeatedly request that she send her son to his home under the pretense of yard work, and that the mother complied out of reasonable reliance on Hurrell’s authority.

Once at Hurrell’s home, the complaint alleges Hurrell sexually abused the plaintiff. The plaintiff says he did not disclose the abuse until he was approximately 18 years old due to fear, shame, and the authority Hurrell held over his family.

The lawsuit alleges the city and the Secaucus Police Department failed to implement adequate policies to protect minors from abuse by officers and are vicariously liable for Hurrell’s conduct.

The case is filed under New Jersey’s Child Sexual Abuse Act, which allows survivors of childhood sexual abuse to bring civil claims regardless of when the abuse occurred.