Woman sues prosecutor and wife for defamation, says he sought nude photos, wife lied to protect him
A woman has filed a defamation suit against a former Alabama municipal prosecutor and his wife, contending that he abused his position by contacting her and seeking nude photos, and that his wife lied to protect him.
The Coffee County Circuit Court suit filed by Sherry McCormick also seeks damages from the city of Enterprise, which she contends is vicariously liable for then-prosecutor Josh Pipkin’s conduct, Courthouse News and the Southeast Sun report.
McCormick alleges Pipkin got her name from a legal file and contacted her via Facebook and text messages in November 2012. He willfully deceiving her into thinking that she could trust him and that he would help her with her municipal court case, in exchange for providing him with nude photos, she says.
Both Pipkin and his wife defamed her, McCormick says in the suit, in comments they made to the Alabama Bar Association and the Sun that sought to divert blame for the situation from the now-former Enterprise prosecutor.
But the root cause of these issues, McCormick alleges, was Pipkin’s misuse of her Enterprise legal file.
“The improper use of these private records by (Pipkin) caused (McCormick) to be placed in a false and defamatory position in the public eye,” the suit says.
In addition to defamation, the suit asserts claims for invasion of privacy and willful deceit. It seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
The news articles don’t include any comment from Pipkin, his wife or the city.
