Missouri family files lawsuit against Nebraska Furniture Mart after contracted worker pleads guilty to sexual assault charges against child 

A Missouri family is suing a furniture store after a carpet installation in their home resulted in their young child being sexually assaulted by a third-party company’s illegal employee.

Nebraska Furniture Mart in Kansas City, Kansas, used the company to put new carpet down for a family in Peculiar, Missouri, last summer. The family was told a trained NFM team would be installing the product, according to KCTV 5, but the store contracted Tapia Flooring to do the job instead.

Enrique Martinez, 63, of Kansas City, Kansas, was part of the crew laying the carpet, but was working illegally, using a stolen social security number.

Martinez allegedly got the family’s 8-year-old daughter by herself and sexually assaulted her. He was arrested by Cass County officers at the home and charged with two counts of statutory sodomy or attempted statutory sodomy with a child. He pleaded guilty to both counts in January and was sentenced to 25 years in prison, KCTV 5 reports.

On April 22, the Accurso Law Firm announced it filed a lawsuit on behalf of the young victim and her family, suing NFM for negligent and deceptive business practices. The lawsuit argues if NFM had conducted proper background checks on its employees, the crime wouldn’t have happened, considering Martinez was working illegally. Tapia Flooring is also included in the lawsuit.

Allegedly, the furniture company didn’t finish the carpet installation and told the family they’re no longer welcome at NFM, KCTV 5 says, but the company denies both allegations.

The announcement of the lawsuit has rekindled public outrage and sympathy for the victim and her family, especially on social media.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway called the incident “absolutely horrific.”

Popular X account Libs of TikTok made a post about the lawsuit, sparking a heated response in the comments.

“Another American child destroyed because a company hired an illegal who used a stolen SSN and wasn’t even authorized to be there,” one person lamented. “This isn’t ‘immigration’—it’s reckless negligence enabled by open borders and zero accountability. … Protect American kids FIRST.”

Commenters also took the opportunity to remind parents and guardians to keep their children close, especially when strangers are in the home.