Two years ago, Joseph Gatt was arrested on charges of pedophilia. Six weeks ago, a California court dismissed the accusation due to lack of sufficient evidence (however, the case may return to court if the prosecution finds new evidence). This week, Joseph Gatt sued the city of Los Angeles, the police, and the district attorney’s office for damaging his career.
Joseph Gatt is demanding $40 million for the damage to his career.
To remind, Joseph Gatt was arrested and later charged with contacting a minor. However, Gatt will not stand trial, as the prosecution’s charges were dismissed by the court.
Now, the actor’s lawyers claim that the police and the prosecution violated his civil rights. They emphasize that the investigation was poorly conducted. The police did not even check the alleged evidence of the 16-year-old, whom Gatt’s lawyers describe as a fan obsessed with the actor, who created false messages allegedly sent by the actor. Gatt’s lawyers also claim that the deputy district attorney pressured to prosecute the actor driven by personal animosity.
In an official statement from Gatt’s lawyers, we read:
“The defendants, through threats, intimidation, and coercion, without evidence and reasonable grounds, subjected Gatt – a successful actor with numerous film and television roles to his credit, including in the series ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Banshee’ – to completely baseless arrest, detention, unlawful search and seizure, as well as conducting an investigation in bad faith, during which it was suggested that Gatt allegedly engaged in electronic communication of a sexual nature with a minor.
The actions of the defendants were based solely on the unconfirmed words of Gatt’s then 16-year-old fan, who was obsessed with the actor and who will be referred to in the lawsuit as Jane Doe to protect her identity, as she was a minor at the time of the events, and is not a party to the current proceedings.
Gatt did not know her and never met her in person. The defendants did not bother to interview her or verify the credibility of the evidence they possessed for a year after they arrested Gatt and publicly branded him as a serial pedophile.
Gatt claims that he lost his agent due to the case, was dropped from two projects he had already been cast in, and was removed from projects for which he had already recorded material. Therefore, he is seeking $40 million in compensation.
