BELLEVILLE — A 75-year-old woman has filed suit in St. Clair County Circuit Court alleging she was raped last April by a bus driver while riding from her home to the Golden Years Adult Support Center.
Defendants listed in the case are the Metro East Transit District of St. Clair County, St. Clair County, St. Clair County Transit Board of Trustees, Southwestern Illinois College, the Board of Trustees of Community College District 522, Golden Years Adult Support Center, Paul Rongey and William Wasson.
Rongey, 65, faces charges of aggravated criminal sexual assault of a person over the age of 60 in St. Clair County.
He also was charged with one count of public contractor misconduct.
If convicted of the aggravated criminal sexual assault charges, Rongey faces up to 30 years in prison.
The suit says the plaintiff was a participant in an adult day care for individuals who required assistance with activities of daily living due to physical and mental ailments.
It alleges that on April 12, 2016, the plaintiff was on a bus being transported from her home in O’Fallon to the Golden Years facility in Belleville. Rongey allegedly turned onto a gravel lot located at 1650 Llewellyn Road in Swansea and stopped the bus, then allegedly threatened and raped the plaintiff.
The 11-count civil complaint was filed by St. Louis attorneys Christopher Allen and Amanda Murphy. The suit is asking for at least $50,000 per count in damages. Among the counts are sexual assault and battery, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and willful and wanton conduct.
The complaint claims "the plaintiff sustained physical, psychological and emotional injuries and will require treatment in the future. Plaintiff has incurred treatment expenses and will incur treatment expenses in the future. And the plaintiff’s ability to enjoy life has been and will be impaired, all to her detriment and damage.’’