From The Associated Press, 8/16/06:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/po/20060817/co_po/policesaychristiancoalitionleaderadmitsmolestinggirls
Police say Christian Coalition leader admits molesting girls
SUMMARY:
Longtime Oregon Christian Coalition leader Lou Beres told police he
sexually touched young girls, including his sister-in-law, court
records show.
The longtime leader of the Oregon Christian Coalition and staunch
opponent of gay rights admits in a newly released police report that
he sexually touched three underage girls years ago, despite denials of
such behavior to a newspaper.
Lou Beres denied sexual-molestation allegations when the Oregonian
newspaper first reported them in October.
But a Gresham (Ore.) Police Department report released as part of a
lawsuit said Beres "readily admitted sexually touching" one girl when
she was 13 or 14 years old.
Beres also acknowledged sexually touching a 16- or 17-year-old friend
of his daughter in 1976 or 1977.
Last fall, Beres said he would withdraw from public life while he
fought the allegations.
However, as late as last week, records show that he signed a $50 check
on the Oregon Christian Coalition checking account to renew the
group's business registration with the state.
In March, Beres, 70, was sued in Multnomah County circuit court for
$2.1 million by a relative who said he molested her repeatedly between
1963 and 1966.
Gresham police last fall investigated the allegations that Beres had
molested underage family members.
But Multnomah County District Attorney Michael Shrunk said the statute
of limitations would prohibit any criminal charges because the
allegations occurred so long ago.
The Oregonian said Beres did not return a phone call Tuesday.
His attorney, John Kaempf, told the newspaper the statements
attributed to Beres by the police were not accurate.
Beres told police that he had received counseling through his church
and admitted his mistakes years ago, according to the Gresham police
report.
However, other relatives expressed concern to police that the abuse
continued for several years through more than one generation of the
family, according to the report.
In a telephone call with an investigator, Beres "made admissions to
three separate victims at three different times," the police report
said.
"All involved underage females."
The offenses ranged from kissing to touching the breast of an underage
girl.
Beres identified the victims as his sister-in-law and two friends of
his daughters, said one of the investigators, according to Det. Lee
Gosson of the Multnomah County Sheriff's Department.
"It should be noted that Mr. Beres said his activities with the girls
were in a playful fashion," Gosson said.
"I told him that the acts were sexual, and he agreed."
Kaempf said that in addition to disputing the statements in the police
report, Beres also denied the allegations in the lawsuit.
A hearing is scheduled next month on a motion by Kaempf to dismiss the
lawsuit.
When asked about Beres's relationship with the Oregon Christian
Coalition, Kaempf said Beres would ask the coalition to "file the
necessary paperwork with the state to formalize Mr. Beres's
resignation as its chairman."
Michele Combs, spokeswoman for the national office of the Christian
Coalition, told The Oregonian that she would check on Beres' status
with the group but failed to provide an answer Tuesday and could not
be reached by subsequent phone calls.
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So what's new?
Harry
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