Parents file lawsuit against former Diamondhead councilman Alan Moran

HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) - A civil lawsuit has been filed against Alan Moran by the parents of the 17-year-old he is accused of touching and giving beer to.

Arrest Report: Diamondhead councilman accused of touching teen, buying him beer

The parents, who WLOX is choosing not to identify so as not to identify the minor victim, filed a complaint against the former Diamondhead councilman as well as Philip’s Pest Control Company and A&M Spray Foam Insulation, companies which Moran served in some sort of managerial capacity.

In the lawsuit, the parents claim on Feb. 14, 2022, their child received a message on Snapchat from Moran asking if he wanted to work for Philip’s Pest Control operating one of the vehicles used for spraying pesticide. The minor victim, referred to in this report as John Doe, agreed and reported to the business to receive training that day.

While he was training, the lawsuit says Moran and Doe drove the truck around, making a stop at Moran’s house and to Silver Creek, Jourdan River Shores and to a gas station in Kiln, where Moran offered to buy Doe beer. The lawsuit says Moran bought the beer and told Doe to return to the business where the two drank.

While at an apartment located at the Philip’s Pest Control business, Moran produced a sex toy and pressured Doe to play with it, but Doe declined. After a conversation about Moran’s cellphone, Moran offered to give the phone to Doe as well as a fifth of Crown Royal if Doe played with the sex toy.

The lawsuit says Doe became uncomfortable with Moran’s sexually suggestive comments and asked to learn how to operate the pesticide spraying equipment, leaving the apartment.

Moran and Doe drove away, with Doe becoming increasingly uncomfortable with Moran’s sexually suggestive comments. At one point on the drive, Doe told Moran he needed to urinate and stopped the truck in north Hancock County on Highway 603. The lawsuit says while Doe was relieving himself, Moran continued to make sexually suggestive comments requesting Doe allow him to observe as he urinated, which Doe declined.

When they got back in the truck, Moran began continuously touching Doe’s inner thigh and grabbing his genitalia despite being told to stop and despite having his hand brushed away multiple times, according to the lawsuit.

Doe sent a text to his father asking him to meet him at a gas station in Kiln. After parking the truck, Doe got out of the truck with the keys and gave them to his mother, who was also present. Moran then got out of the truck, walked up to Doe and demanded the keys back. This time, according to the lawsuit, the father attempted to detain Moran, who got free and ran into nearby woods, tossing a “burner” phone in route.

Within minutes, deputies with the Hancock County sheriff’s department arrived on the scene and took Moran into custody and later retrieved the phone.

According to the lawsuit, the parents learned after the events on Feb. 14 that Moran had previously engaged in similar behavior with multiple other men when they were teenagers. The lawsuit says several of the prior victims reported the assaults either to the owner of Philip’s Pest Control Company or to law enforcement authorities, or to both.

At all relevant times, Moran was a manager, officer, employee and/or agent of Philip’s Pest Control and A&M and in a position of trust or authority. The lawsuit claims the defendants were aware, or should have been aware, of Moran’s sexual proclivities and his predilection for teenage boys, and that despite repeated prior complaints, Philip’s Pest Control and A&M continued to entrust and allow Moran to act on their behalf.

The lawsuit is seeking relief for claims of assault/battery, false imprisonment, infliction of emotional distress, and negligence against the defendants.

Moran is currently out on bond on charges of simple assault and of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Moran’s attorney Don Rafferty said in regards to the lawsuit and pending criminal charges, “We are looking forward to our day in court. There are two sides to the story.”

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