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Bill Nemitz: For almost three decades, she kept her secret. No longer.
Phil Chenevert was long embraced by the Russell family. Now he stands accused of molesting their little girl.
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He’s everywhere in the family photos. At the birthday parties, the Christmas gatherings, the summer cookouts. When Phil Chenevert showed up at the Russell household, fun was sure to follow.
But he’s also there in Julia Russell’s darkest memories. According to a lawsuit she filed two weeks ago in U.S. District Court in Portland, the trusted friend of her parents who had a knack for making her feel special was also a predator who, starting when she was 6 and continuing until she was 8, all but destroyed her life.