43
Father of girl secretly videotaped while changing sues families involved
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
The father of a girl who was secretly videotaped while changing clothes at a home in 2014 has sued two boys and their parents in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court, seeking damages of at least $50,000 from each.
The suit names as defendants Dominic Alberini and his parents, listed as Bridget and Charles Alberini of Bittersweet Drive Northeast; and Alec Jerina and his parents, John Jerina Jr. and Melissa Jerina of Brucewood Drive Southeast.
The Vindicator has chosen not to publish the name of the plaintiff, to shield the victim’s identity.
The Alberini family’s attorney, Jeff Goodman, says the father’s name is Richard and the mother’s name is Brigitte. He declined to comment on the lawsuit.
The complaint says the girl was invited to a swim party at the Jerina residence June 19, 2014, and was directed to change into her swimsuit in an upstairs bedroom. Unbeknownst to the girl, Dominic Alberini and Alec Jerina recorded her changing and then circulated the video to others, the suit says.
She also was recorded when she changed out of her swimsuit later, the suit says.
The girl received a text message in March 2015 with a link to the video the boys recorded, alerting her for the first time that such a video existed, the suit says. She also learned numerous other people had viewed the video, the suit says.
The lawsuit is assigned to Judge Ronald Rice.
The boys were convicted in Trumbull County Juvenile Court for felony voyeurism related to the incident, the suit says.
They were sentenced to seven days of detention in the county’s juvenile justice center last August after pleading “true” to the voyeurism charge before juvenile court Magistrate Monte Horton.
The suit says the incident caused the girl to suffer serious emotional trauma.
It says the four parents named in the suit were negligent in their supervision and oversight of their sons.
The suit seeks at least $25,000 from each person named as a defendant for compensatory damages and at least $25,000 each in punitive damages.
A call to John Jerina Jr. was not returned. Atty. Randil Rudloff said he believes he will be representing the Jerina family in the matter, but he has not spoken to them yet and has no comment.
The Alberini family also filed legal action last month against Warren John F. Kennedy High School asking a judge to order the school to allow Dominic, a Kennedy senior, to attend the school.
Judge W. Wyatt McKay of common pleas court issued a temporary restraining order allowing Dominic Alberini to attend until at least the date of a preliminary injunction hearing Friday.