02:57 PM CST on Sunday, March 19, 2006

Associated Press

A prominent Terrebonne Parish businessman has settled a child-molestation civil lawsuit against him for $2 million, according to court documents.

Benny Cenac was accused by the family of a former employee of molesting their young son over a period of several years. A Lafourche grand jury declined to rule on any of the criminal charges against him, but the family filed the civil lawsuit seeking damages. The out-of-court settlement prevents what was expected to be a four-week trial that was set for Monday.

Cenac owns Cenac Towing, which provides boats to the Gulf of Mexico oilfield and elsewhere.

The $2 million will be placed in either a trust fund for the child or handled by a third-party administrator, the settlement states.

The settlement specifies that Cenac denies ever molesting the boy and will "continue to love (him) as if he was his son," the filing states. The family will not bring any further accusations forward related to the boy, the lawsuit states, and "acknowledges" Cenac's denial.

The case came close to a settlement in late 2004, but that deal fell through at the last minute.

While a court victory would be a vindication of sorts, Cenac said, he also said that it would not clear his name. A judge's ruling would not say whether he was guilty or not, but merely whether his accusers deserved money, he said.

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