Long: I'Ve Been Accused. I'M under Attack, WSB, September 26, 2010

Long: I'Ve Been Accused. I'M under Attack

WSB
September 26, 2010

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/25149843/detail.html

LITHONIA, Ga. -- Famed mega-church pastor Eddie Long broke his silence Sunday in the wake of allegations that he abused his power to coerce several young men into sex.

He addressed the congregation of New Birth Missionary Church at the Sunday 8 a.m. service. The father of four said he needed to address his family and his church family before he addressed the rest of the world.

PHOTOS: Long Addresses Congregation

Long said he felt like he was under attack. He indirectly refuted the allegations against him saying, "I have never in my life portrayed myself as a perfect man, but I am not the man that's being portrayed on the television. That's not me."

He said he is going to fight the allegations, but his lawyers advised him not to try the case in the media.

"This thing, I'm gonna fight," said Long. "I feel like David against Goliath. I've got 5 rocks, I haven't thrown one yet."

He told his followers to stay committed to prayer and quoted scripture that would help them "walk through the painful situation."

Church officials originally said they would cut off all camera feeds when Long spoke, but they kept the signal up throughout his statement. Members of the media, including Channel 2's Tom Jones were sequestered in an annex where they watched the service on a closed-circuit screen.

Four men have come forward and filed lawsuits against Long, accusing the Atlanta-area bishop of sexual abuse. The lawsuits, which also name New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia as a defendant, have garnered national headlines.

In the latest lawsuit filed on Friday, Spencer LeGrande, 22, a member of New Birth Charlotte, a satellite church run by Long, said the bishop asked him to call him dad.

LeGrande joined New Birth Charlotte at the age of 15, according to the suit. When he turned 17, LeGrande said Long took him to Kenya and Zimbabwe in Africa, where Long introduced him to Winnie Mandela, according to the suit. That's also where he said the pastor kissed and licked him on the lips, rubbed his chest and even gave him the sleep aid drug Ambien, the suit stated. The two slept together and had sexual contact, LeGrande claimed in the suit.

When they returned to the United States, LeGrande said Long convinced him to move to Atlanta, the suit stated. LeGrande said Long bought him gifts, gave him money, a car and put him up in several homes, including one in Decatur. He also said that Long would visit and the two would engage in sexual activity, until he grew disillusioned and moved back to Charlotte, according to the suit. LeGrande's lawsuit claims that some of Long's top aides knew about the relationship and did nothing.

All four plaintiffs are represented by prominent Atlanta attorney B.J. Bernstein. The other three plaintiffs, Maurice Robinson, Anthony Flagg and Jamal Parris, also detailed incidents of sexual contact with the bishop, according lawsuits filed.