A woman has filed a lawsuit claiming that she was sexually assaulted last year by a priest in the Diocese of Joliet.

The lawsuit was filed Oct. 14 in Will County court against the Diocese of Joliet and the Rev. Nester Sanchez, whom the woman accused of sexual harassment and assault.

The woman, who is identified under the alias “Jane Doe,” alleged in the lawsuit that Sanchez sexually assaulted her on July 2, 2024, at Hammel Woods in Shorewood. Will County court records show no charges filed against Sanchez.

The incident was investigated by the Forest Preserve District of Will County Police Department. The findings of the investigation were turned over to Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow’s office, said Dave Barrios, deputy chief of the forest preserve district police department.

“We left it in their hands,” Barrios said.

When asked about the outcome of a review of potential charges from Glasgow’s office, Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Laura Byrne said that, as a “general matter, we cannot confirm or deny investigations within the state’s attorney’s office.”

The Diocese of Joliet did not immediately respond to a call and message on Friday.

The lawsuit alleged that the woman worked in 2019 for a church within the diocese, and Sanchez held a “superior position of power and authority” over her.

After the alleged sexual assault in 2024, the woman “immediately reported the assault” to the police, as well as to the Diocese of Joliet, according to the lawsuit.

On Nov. 1, 2024, the woman was informed that an internal investigation by the diocese concluded “appropriate actions” had been taken, and she would have no further contact with Sanchez, according to the lawsuit.

But the woman requested further review after “fearing for her safety and the safety of others,” according to the suit.

The lawsuit claimed that an attorney with long-standing ties to the diocese was retained to conduct an “external investigation.”

On March 4, the human resources director for the diocese told the woman that the diocese concluded “mutual, inappropriate, consensual behavior” occurred, and Sanchez’s conduct “did not constitute harassment,” according to the suit.

“By so concluding, the diocese branded [Doe] a liar, undermined her credibility and protected Sanchez. The diocese’s determination was unsupported by evidence beyond Sanchez’s denial, which even law enforcement could not credit,” according to the suit.

The lawsuit alleged that the diocese violated its own whistleblower and anti-retaliation policy, and “Jane Doe” suffered “severe emotional distress, reputational damage” and other damages.