Woman Sues Match.com, Wants Screening for Sexual Predators
A Los Angeles entertainment executive has filed suit against Match.com, asserting that the site should start screening members for sexual predators.
The unidentified woman, who says she was sexually assaulted by a fellow dating site member, also plans to seek a temporary injunction barring the site from signing up more members until her demands are met, the L.A. Now blog of the Los Angeles Times reports.
“They are a very powerful and successful online dating service, and they have the means to do this,” said the woman’s lawyer, Mark L. Webb.
KABC-TV Channel 7 reported that the woman said she was assaulted following a second date. Afterward, she learned that her alleged attacker had a record of sexual battery.
“This horrific ordeal completely blindsided me because I had considered myself savvy about online dating safety,” the woman said in a statement released through Webb. “Things quickly turned into a nightmare, beyond my control.”
The man’s criminal defense lawyer maintains he is innocent and that the sexual activity was consensual, according to Channel 7.
Match.com told Channel 7 that the dating service provides safety tips and warns members that they are responsible for screening the people they meet.
“While incidents like this one between individuals who meet on Match.com are extremely rare, it doesn’t make them any less horrifying,” Match.com said.
