In Magistrate Judge Daphne Oberg's decision Thursday in Schur v. Berntsen, self-represented plaintiffs had sued, "generally alleging Defendants are involved in 'sex trafficking, … labor traf[f]icking, harass[ ]ment, [and] hate crimes.'"
In this case, Plaintiffs alleged Nathan Schur met Ms. Berntsen through a dating application and Ms. Berntsen later sexually assaulted him, filed a false police report about him, threatened him with guns registered to another person, and "continued harassing [him] and asking for sexual favors." They alleged both defendants filed a protective order against Mr. Schur, "making him fear for his safety in the state of Utah." They further alleged Ms. Berntsen "intimidated Mr. Schur and his family in their political asylum case." According to the complaint, Mr. Schur obtained his green card in 2015 but Ms. Berntsen then tried to interfere with his citizenship "with her attempts to turn [Mr.] Schur into a sexual slave." Plaintiffs also allege [plaintiffs] Ana Maria Ravines de Schur (Mr. Schur's mother) and Jessica Johannes were traumatized by Ms. Berntsen's threats against Mr. Schur and by viewing a video of the assault.
The case was dismissed in 2022, largely because plaintiffs had alleged violations of criminal statutes that didn't provide for civil enforcement in private lawsuits, and because the allegations didn't support any claim "under 18 U.S.C. § 1595, which provides a private right of action for victims of slavery and trafficking":
