A co-founder of the nation's leading
LGBT rights organization on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to charges
of sexually abusing a minor.
Terry Bean's lawyer, Kristen Winemiller, said
that her client is the victim of an extortion plot.
“Terry absolutely did not have sex
with a minor,” Winemiller was quoted by KGW-TV
as saying during Bean's arraignment. “The circumstances behind
this are not what they appear to be.”
“He has been the victim of a series
of crimes perpetrated by a group of men that includes his so-called
ex-partner and now co-defendant, Kiah Lawson,” she added. “We
are eager to represent the facts to the court and clearing Terry's
name.”
In June, Lawson, told Willamette
Week that Bean, a real estate developer, had secretly
recorded him and at least a half dozen men “in a state of nudity
engaged in intimate acts with [Bean].” There were also allegations
that Bean tried to silence Lawson with $40,000.
Bean was arrested at the conclusion of
a five-month investigation. Police accuse the 66-year-old Bean of
sexually abusing a 15-year-old young man. Lawson was also arrested
and faces similar charges.
According to Willamette Week,
Bean has given more than $1 million to the Human Rights Campaign and
raised more money for President Barack Obama than any other
Oregonian.