Family accusing Tom Lakin of sex abuse to amend complaint

St. Clair County Associate Judge Heinz Rudolph set a summary judgment hearing for Oct. 3 at 2 p.m. in a 7-year-old lawsuit alleging Lowell Thomas Lakin sexually assaulted young boys.

The summary judgment motion was based on facts Tom Lakin submitted in a state case in which he admitted he committed sexual abuse on a 15-year-old boy.

Defendant Brad Lakin, Tom Lakin’s son, filed for a 30-day extension to respond to the suit on Aug. 19 and was granted his extension at the Aug. 29 motion hearing.

Plaintiff’s attorney Samantha Unsell also filed a motion on Aug. 29 to make amendments to the complaint, which was granted..

The lawsuit accuses Brad Lakin of conspiring with his father and brother to destroy evidence and to avoid mandatory sexual abuse reporting laws by having at least one minor plaintiff seek treatment in Canada.

According to the first amended complaint, Tom Lakin, now 72, was an adult friend of the families of the minors he is accused of abusing.

Plaintiff Mary Doe, mother of John and Joseph Doe, was employed by Tom Lakin and the former Lakin Law Firm, according to the complaint.

Mary Doe alleges that Tom Lakin, then 64 or 65 years old, sexually abused her sons and harassed her daughter. He is also accused of filing harassing lawsuits against Mary Doe.

The accusations in the civil suit – originally filed in Madison County – launched a federal investigation which resulted in Tom Lakin’s conviction on drug charges in 2008. He is scheduled for release from Fort Worth Federal Correctional Institute in Texas on Nov. 30.

Lakin Law Firm and Kristopher Lakin are also named defendants in the case.

The plaintiffs seek more than $75,000 in damages.

Samantha Unsell of Keefe and Keefe and Ed Unsell of Alton represent the plaintiff.

Robert J. Sprague of Sprague and Urban in Belleville represents Brad Lakin.

Clyde Kuehn in Belleville represents Tom Lakin.

Case number 06-L-363.