Westmoreland County woman sues Monongahela, former police officer

A Westmoreland County woman sued Monongahela and one of its former police officers in Washington County Court Tuesday, claiming her civil rights were violated when she allegedly became a victim of indecent assault by the patrolman.
The woman testified before a grand jury that DeVault, while in uniform, bear-hugged her from behind, force-kissed her in a Monongahela police cruiser and begged her for sex in the early hours of June 29, 2018.
Jesse Cimino named former officer Dustin DeVault, former police Chief Brian Tempest and Union Township in the five-count lawsuit seeking an unspecified amount of money for her claim of emotional distress, court records show.
Cimino and DeVault first met in the summer of 2018 when the officer pulled over her vehicle for having a burned-out taillight. He didn’t issue her a ticket and later promised to help her become a police officer or a soldier.
DeVault in June pleaded no contest to a charge of official oppression in the case. The state attorney general’s office did not prosecute him on other charges of indecent assault and obstruction, online court records show.
Cimino’s attorney, Al Lindsay, said she insisted on her real name being used in the case to set an example for other victims.
Her lawsuit also includes counts of assault and battery.
It was not immediately known Wednesday if DeVault had an attorney to represent him in the civil case.
Monongahela solicitor Todd M. Pappasergi declined to comment on the lawsuit.