Lawsuit: Atlanta pastor coerced males into sex

[quantumfireball2099]

Not sure if this has been posted or not.

Chalk another one up for sharing gods love!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39297257/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

ATLANTA , Two men have filed a lawsuit accusing Bishop Eddie Long of exploiting his role as pastor of an Atlanta-area megachurch to coerce them into sexual relationships when they were young members of his congregation.

Lawyers for the men, now 20 and 21, say they filed the lawsuit on Tuesday. The Associated Press generally does not identify people who say they were victims of sexual impropriety.

Craig Gillen, Long's attorney, said Tuesday the pastor "categorically denies the allegations."

"We find it unfortunate that these two young men would take this course of action," Gillen said, adding that Long had not yet been served with copies of the lawsuits.

The men were 17- and 18-year-old members of Long's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church when they say Long abused his spiritual authority to seduce them with with cars, money, clothes, jewelry, international trips and access to celebrities.

 

[lrkun]

This is sick. The kids don't know better. They are young. Assuming that they knew what they are getting into, the pastor must know better. He after all is their role model.

'Personal sexual gratification'
B.J. Bernstein, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, said that when the relationships started, the plaintiffs were past the legal age of consent in Georgia, which is 15.

"Defendant Long has utilized his spiritual authority to coerce certain young male members ... into engaging in sexual acts and relationships for his own personal sexual gratification," the lawsuits read.