KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A federal jury has ordered a Kansas City landlord to pay $1.1 million for sexually harassing female tenants, the Justice Department announced Thursday.

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Jury Awards Million-Dollar Verdict In Landlord Harassment Case

Bobby Veal was ordered to pay 11 women amounts ranging from $10,001 to $310,000 in what the Justice Department said was the largest judgment it has ever won in a Fair Housing Act case.

The department filed suit in federal court in 2002 after the women -- residents of rental properties owned by Veal and his wife, Jewel -- complained to the Kansas City Human Rights Department.

According to the women's testimony at the trial, Veal's actions included unwanted verbal sexual advances, unwanted sexual touching, asking for sexual favors in exchange for tenancy and threats to retaliate against women who refused his sexual advances.

A former resident also testified that Veal forced her to have sex twice in her apartment, once when her children were present.

Most of the victims were vulnerable to harassment because they were lower-income, single women with few opportunities to seek other housing, the department said.

The Justice Department said it will also seek a court order requiring the Veals to turn over their rental properties to an independent management company.

"We will not tolerate landlords who use their power to prey on vulnerable tenants," said R. Alexander Acosta, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The jury's verdict sends a clear message that the Justice Department will aggressively pursue any landlord who engages in this type of despicable conduct. Sexual acquiescence should never be the price of a roof over anyone's head."

Calls made to the only numbers listed in the Kansas City area under the name Veal were not answered Thursday.