(CNN) — A prominent supporter of President Barack Obama and co-founder of the Human Rights Campaign was arrested last week on charges of sodomy and sexual abuse related to what authorities said was an encounter with a juvenile male.
Terrence Bean, 66, a major Democratic donor and a celebrated gay-rights activist, was indicted on two felony charges of sodomy and a misdemeanor count of sexual abuse by a grand jury and arrested in Oregon Wednesday, according to a statement from the Portland Police Bureau. Bean was released later that day on bail, pending a court hearing.
Kiah Lawson, a 25-year-old identified by multiple news outlets as Bean’s ex-boyfriend, was arrested on Thursday on related charges, Portland Police confirmed. He’s also been released from jail, and pleaded not guilty on Friday, according to The Oregonian newspaper.
The charges relate to an alleged encounter the two had with a 15-year-old boy in Oregon last year, The Oregonian reported. Bean’s attorney has denied the charges and said in a statement that Bean is the “victim of an extortion ring.” CNN is not naming the alleged victim because the network does not identify minors or victims of sexual assaults.
According to a release from the Portland Police Bureau, its Sex Crimes Unit detectives are investigating the case.
Obama: A “great friend and supporter”
Bean, a real-estate developer and co-founder of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and the Human Rights Campaign, is a powerful figure in Democratic politics.
The Oregonian reported that he helped raise more than half a million dollars for Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, and Federal Election Commission records show he’s contributed thousands to Democrats, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and others.
Photos posted online show him with the Obamas, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and aboard Air Force One with the President.
In remarks at a 2009 Human Rights Campaign dinner, President Obama thanked Bean, calling him a “great friend and supporter.”
Human Rights Campaign spokesman Fred Sainz told CNN on Saturday that Bean took a leave of absence from the organization the day of the arrest “until his issues are resolved.”
“Terry Bean has taken a voluntary leave of absence from the HRC board until his issues are resolved. Bean is just one of 80 board members, none of whom have daily oversight or responsibility for any of our programs,” Sainz said. He said the HRC “does tremendous work to make America a more just and equal nation” and called that work “vital and is bigger than any one individual.”
The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund declined to comment on the development, but Bean has no current involvement with the organization besides contributing funds to its operations.
Attorney: Bean is the victim of an extortion ring
Bean’s attorney, Kristen Winemiller, said the allegations against him should not be taken at “face value.”
“Over the course of several months in 2013-2014 Terry was the victim of an extortion ring led by several men known to law enforcement,” Winemiller said. “This current arrest is connected to the ongoing investigation of that case in which Mr. Bean has fully cooperated.”
Lawson’s attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.
Lawson’s former attorney told The Oregonian that Lawson stumbled upon a camera Bean used to secretly record sexual encounters with him and other men, and took screenshots of some of the images, hoping to secure money from Bean in exchange for their return.
While Lawson’s attorney characterized the money as “damages,” Bean alleged extortion, and took his concerns to the district attorney.
The investigation was eventually taken up by the Portland Police Department due to a conflict of interest with the DA and Lawson’s former attorney, and that investigation led to Bean’s indictment and arrest.
— CNN’s John Branch contributed to this report.
Joe
Sounds like an Obama supporter, a radical with hidden agenda.
Lisa Brown
Underage? Rape? Who knows. I would be fighting mad being videotaped without knowledge and consent
JOE CAMEL
Your unbelievable Lisa Brown, a child has been abused, there would not be an arrest if there was not evidence he preserved himself. It does not matter if the child was coerced to engage willingly it is a child this sexual deviant has harmed by his perversion and you’re concerned about being videotaped without knowledge and consent…no wonder our society is what it is today, pathetic!
Joe Camel
Lisa Brown
I think you got the wrong message as I take full responsibility for that. It has been suggested that Lawson will be the one to take the fall for this because of Beans ability to hush the others involved. The comment about Videotaping was in regards to those who were of age and were filmed without consent which would make a case a BEAN being a pervert not so easy to go away. His case is particularly disturbing because of his history and, rise to fame and money donated to political parties to have his agenda pushed as innocuous. So again sorry about the misunderstanding but I DO NOT SUPPORT TERRY BEAN, HIS SUPPORTERS OR HIS AGENDA!
FRED
Pedophiles do stand up for each other….
jed
typical
dwstick
Since this story first broke, the number of pieces about it that were aired on the alphabet networks:
NBC-ZERO. CBS-ZERO. ABC-One, sort of (one paragraph posted on their website).
If Terrence Bean were a Republican fund-raiser who was arrested for child-rape, we would be inundated with 24/7 coverage. Instead, we get crickets chirping…………crickets chirping……….crickets chirping.
Michelynn Spearing (@MichelynnSpear1)
A pox on thee, liberal fellow
Pederast with stripe of yellow.
With this millstone do ya think
You can swim deep in the drink?
Even worse should be your fate
But there’s time enough just to wait.
A pox on thee, liberal fellow
Pederast with stripe of yellow.
Ahmed Al-Ali
he has all the traits of a Democrat or Obama friend. Homosexual, paedophile while running a “Human Rights Campaign” or some “charity” of sorts for use in trafficking and/or assault of minors.