Gay Rights Champion Accused of Abusing Minors
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray is being sued by a man who claims he was raped and molested 30 years ago. The lawsuit is the latest accusation of the same nature filed years ago by two other alleged victims of the mayor who is a staunch gay rights activist.
The new lawsuit was filed by "D.H." who claims to have been abused when he was a 15-year-old high school dropout in 1986. Their encounters allegedly happened up to 50 times over a period of four to five years. He was paid $10–20 every time which he used to buy drugs.
D.H. said Murray, who was in his early 30s then, was well aware of his age that time. He claims to be sober now and is coming forward as part of a "healing process" after 30 years of "the shame, the embarrassment, the guilt, the humiliation that I put myself through and that he put me through."
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D.H. blames Murray's abuse for exacerbating his problems in life, Seattle Times reported. To prove his allegations, the 46-year-old plaintiff described the mayor's Capitol Hill apartment, recalled his telephone number and provided distinct physical features of the mayor's genitalia.
This is not the first case Murray had faced. Two other men said they got to know the politician while growing up in a Portland center for troubled teens in the early '80s. One of them, Jeff Simpson, reported his ordeal to a social worker and detective in 1984 but no charges were filed.
Murray came out with a statement saying has never engaged in any inappropriate relationship with minors. He considered the accusations false and politically motivated, coming within weeks of the campaign filing deadline. The mayor added that he will vigorously fight the allegations in court.
