ATLANTA (AP) — 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 in DeKalb County Court. ...

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

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

"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 grafitication," the lawsuits read.

That shit is nasty. As fuck. This goes to show you that the pastor — yes, even YOUR pastor — is just a man. Stop treatin' that nigga like HE's the one being worshipped. That's all I'm gon' say about that.

Anyway, check out the "Pause" episode of The Boondocks after the stretch. This Eddie Long situation kinda reminds me of it.

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Supplier: USA Today

From WTSP:

Temple Terrace, Florida - In the middle of a normally quiet neighborhood, police say 31-year-old George Thomas put two women through nearly a full week of terror.

According to an arrest report, Thomas kidnapped, raped and filmed two women, one of them only 16 years old, at his house on Rain Forest Street in Temple Terrace.

Temple Terrace police say Thomas brought the first woman to his house last Saturday, forced her to have sex with him three times and threatened to kill her if she left.

Then, police say, the first victim got ahold of a friend through Facebook, and told her to come to the house and rescue her.

But, according to the arrest report, when she showed up, Thomas came out with a gun and forced her inside as well.

That's when he's accused of making the two women have sex in the living room, while he recorded it with his cell phone and a webcam. ...

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Thomas has been arrested nearly two dozen times since 1997, on everything from DUI and drug possession to stalking. ...

Some who live nearby tell 10 News he's known around the area for his strange behavior.

"Nickname is 'George the perv,'" [neighbor Alan] Winton said.

Thomas is being held in jail without bond, facing six felony charges.

With that rap sheet, I don't know why this dude wasn't already locked up. He's also listed as a member of a Folk Nation gang — which was odd to me, 'cause I thought the Folk Nation was only a Chicago and Milwaukee thing. Turns out I was wrong about that.

Video report from WTSP after the stretch.

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Suppliers: WTSP & TampaBay.com

CHICAGO - An Elmhurst grandmother charged with attempted murder in the stabbing of her infant grandson told police she believed the child was the antichrist, prosecutors said at her bond hearing this morning.

Bond was set at $2 million for Sandra Clanton, 39. She has been confined to a hospital mental health ward over the last several days after trying to harm herself.

Assistant State's Attorney Michael Fisher told DuPage County Judge Liam Brennan Clanton was in her kitchen Saturday with her boyfriend, the child's mother and the 9-month-old infant "when she went into a rage."

"She picked up the baby, slammed its head into the sink and took a large butcher knife and began slicing the child under an eye in a sawing motion," Fisher said.

The infant's mother grabbed the child and ran to the police station while the boyfriend wrestled Clanton to the floor, he said.

Clanton told police at the Elmhurst station that the "baby was the antichrist." ...

Fisher said the child suffered a "substantial wound" under his eye and bruising to his head, but a scan showed no other serious damage.

Yikes. Poor kid. Thank God somebody was there to save him.


Supplier: Chicago Breaking News Center