KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Last week, a jury ordered landlord Bobby Veal to pay $1.1 million for sexually harassing several of his former tenants.

One woman who used to live in one of Veal's building, who we'll call "Ann," said she thought she'd have to give in to her landlord's advances or kill herself.

But to set a better example for her children, Ann decided to get help instead. But she says she's still afraid of Veal, even though she no longer rents one of his houses.

"I was groped. I was touched in my private places," she said. "Now that this is all over, will he retaliate?"

Veal denies any wrongdoing, but a jury didn't see it that way. One woman who testified Veal forced her to have sex twice -- once in the presence of her children -- was awarded more than $300,000 in the lawsuit.

Ann also got a sizeable award in the civil case. But she said the jury award doesn't buy peace of mind.

"My concern was that it would happen to somebody else," she said.

Ann McKelvy, who investigated the claims against Veal, said women don't have to put up with this kind of harassment.

"I asked her why didn't she first of all file a criminal suit against Mr. Veal. (She said,) 'I didn't think they would believe me, because I thought I was the only one,'" McKelvy explained.

Ann went to several local agencies for help while renting from Veal, but she got nowhere until she came across Kansas City's Human Relations Department, which took her claims seriously.