Eddie Long Settles With Sex Coercion Accusers

Eddie Long, the homophobic senior pastor of Georgia's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, has settled a lawsuit from four men who accused him of sexual misconduct — one allegation involved Long coercing a 17-year-old into sexual relations.

The pastor was accused of encouraging young men to sleep with him in exchange for money, trips, and jobs — the case was dismissed with "prejudice," meaning the men cannot sue Long again. Some in Long's church are continuing to stand by him, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"It doesn't make me think he's guilty or anything," church member Kamelya Hinson told the newspaper. "I decided when this came out that I loved my pastor unconditionally. Even if he came out and grabbed the mic and said ‘I'm guilty,' it wouldn't change the way I feel about him."

Others told the Journal-Constitution that the settlement does suggest the pastor is guilty of sexual impropriety.

Long leads gay "conversion" therapies and has pushed for a national constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Read the full story here.