A jury on Sept. 17 found that Watsonville City Councilman Jimmy Dutra committed sexual battery and lewd and lascivious acts on a minor in his Los Angeles apartment 19 years ago.
The jury also found that Dutra is liable for damages from the emotional and mental suffering stemming from the abuse.
In making that finding, the jury awarded Stephen Siefke more than $1 million in damages for emotional and mental suffering and economic losses, among other things.
The jury did not, however, determine that Dutra acted with malice, and so could not award punitive damages.
Only one juror dissented.
No criminal charges were filed, and the verdict was not a criminal conviction.
The verdict came after roughly three days of deliberation, which followed a weeklong civil trial.
Siefke says that he was 12 when and his family were staying with Dutra in 2005 in Los Angeles while they visited Disneyland. During one night, Siefke says, Dutra returned home and climbed onto the couch where Siefke was sleeping, reached into his pants and fondled him.
In a prepared statement, Siefke said that the verdict was a “momentous occasion.”
“After a long and arduous journey, I have received validation for my story—a story that has been cloaked in fear, shame, and secrecy for far too long,” he stated. “The victory in this case is not just mine, but a testament to the bravery of all survivors who have faced the daunting task of coming forward.”
Dutra was not in court when the verdict was read. He declined on Tuesday to comment on his absence.
He vehemently denied Siefke’s allegations, saying during the trial that he hardly knew Siefke.
The allegations, he said, stemmed from a dispute over his late father’s estate with his father’s girlfriend.
Dutra doubled down on the story and the denial in an email Tuesday.
“I have said and will maintain that this allegation is false and never happened,” he stated. “This case was about revenge and money.”
Dutra also points to the timing of the lawsuit, since it came just before people began voting in the 2022 primary election, where he was running for Santa Cruz County supervisor.
Siefke says he was inspired to file the suit when he moved to Santa Cruz County and saw Dutra’s election posters, and learned that he was also teaching in a middle school.
“The person who caused me so much pain was not just a perpetrator but someone who was allowed to work within our schools, putting countless other children at risk,” Siefke said. “Knowing that my story has played a role in protecting future generations from such harm brings me a profound sense of relief and justice.”
Dutra’s attorney said that he is seeking options for an appeal.
Siefke’s attorney, Dana Scruggs, said that grounds for such an appeal would come from a legal mistake or a judicial error.
“Which I don’t see in this case,” he said.
