A woman repeated her son's claim of sexual abuse. Now, she's being sued.

In 2016, Joseph Sinclair told his parents something that sent his family into a tailspin: As a child, he said, he was sexually abused by a neighbor they had hired to babysit him.

In 2016, Joseph Sinclair told his parents something that sent his family into a tailspin: As a child, he said, he was sexually abused by a neighbor they had hired to babysit him.

The revelation wreaked havoc on the family, which sought years of therapy to heal. But now they say they are being forced to relive the trauma.

Maureen Sartain, the babysitter Sinclair has accused of abusing him, has filed a lawsuit against Sinclair’s mother, saying in court documents that Marie Sinclair intentionally caused her emotional distress by telling others about the alleged abuse. The case is scheduled to go to trial next month in New York.

“It keeps me up at night,” Marie Sinclair said of the thought of her son being called to testify in the trial. “Because of this ridiculous lawsuit, he’s being forced to confront some painful memories. It is so unfair.”

Sartain declined a request for an interview through her attorney, Scott Mishkin, who referred NBC News to her deposition from last year. In it, Sartain denied abusing Joseph Sinclair. She is not suing for defamation and some legal experts have expressed surprise that the case is scheduled to go to trial.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-repeated-sons-claim-sexual-abuse-now-s-sued-rcna137270

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