Bishop Long settles sex suits out of court

Bishop Eddie Long, an Atlanta-area megachurch pastor, has settled
suits out of court with four young men who accused him of sexual
misconduct, his church has announced.

"After a series of
discussions, all parties involved have decided to resolve the civil
cases out of court," Long's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church said in
the May 26 statement. "This decision was made to bring closure to this
matter and to allow us to move forward with the plans God has for this
ministry." B. J. Bernstein, who represented Long's accusers, confirmed
the resolution.

Long, 58, denied the accusations in suits filed
last September by the men, all in their early twenties. The four men
alleged that Long plied them with presents and trips abroad and seduced
them into sexual acts.