U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney reportedly ruled in favor of a man who sued his parents after they threw out his porn collection worth thousands of dollars.
David Werking moved to Michigan to live with his parents in late 2016 for a 10-month period following his divorce before moving to Indiana, according to the Associated Press (AP). He was reportedly kicked out of the family home for unspecified reasons.
Upon moving to Indiana, Werking expected his parents would ship him his belongings, but later realized his pornography collection was missing, according to mlive.com.
Email exchanges between Werking and his parents show that his parents had discovered and destroyed an extensive pornography collection that included videos depicting bestiality, incest, rape, torture and urination after Werking was barred from the house, according to documents obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF).
A man who sued his parents for getting rid of his pornography collection has won a lawsuit in Michigan and can seek compensation. “There is no question that the destroyed property was David’s property,” U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney said. https://t.co/6NgK0jU5NJ #odd
— AP Oddities (@AP_Oddities) December 18, 2020
“I find your whole attitude toward women to be very disturbing,” his parents wrote in a January 2018 email. “Women are not objects for you to masturbate with, they are people created by God just as you were and should be treated with respect and dignity.” (RELATED: ‘I’ll Never Be Those Women’: The Partners Of Porn Addicts Share Their Stories During Lockdown)
“Believe it or not, one reason for why I destroyed your porn was for your own mental and emotional health,” the email continued, according to the report. “I would have done the same if I had found a kilo of crack cocaine. Someday, I hope you will understand.”
Werking reportedly estimated his collection was worth nearly $30,000.00.
“There is no question that the destroyed property was David’s property,” Maloney ruled Monday, according to the AP. “Defendants repeatedly admitted that they destroyed the property.”
However, Werking’s parents argued they had the right to do so because they were his landlords, according to the report.
Maloney disagreed.
“Defendants do not cite any statute or caselaw to support their assertion that landlords can destroy property that they dislike,” he wrote, reported the AP.
Werking’s attorney, Miles Greengard, argued Werking should receive compensation that is triple the damages, according to mlive.com.
“This was a collection of often irreplaceable items and property,” he said, according to the report.
Werking and his parents have until mid-February to file written submissions regarding damages, according to Fox News.