EUGENE, Ore. - Prosecutors dismissed child sex-abuse charges against prominent gay rights activist Terry Bean.
Bean showed up for his trial in Lane County Court Tuesday morning. The charges were dismissed shortly after.
Authorities alleged that 66-year-old Bean and his ex-boyfriend had sex with a 15-year-old boy in a Eugene hotel room in 2013. Detectives struggled to locate the boy, now 17, so he could be served with a subpoena.
Prosecutors told a judge in Eugene on Friday that the alleged victim was unlikely to show up for the trial.
The Register-Guard reported that prosecutors intend to seek permission to refile charges if the victim changes his mind about testifying.
The teen's attorney says he wasn't interested in pursuing a criminal prosecution. A judge last month rejected a proposed civil compromise between the boy and Bean that would have ended the case.
Following Monday's dismissal, Bean issued a statement, saying that while he is relieved the charges were dropped, they should never have been filed in the first place:
I have been silent for almost a year on the advice of my attorney, but while I am relieved that the charges against me have been dropped, this nightmare never should have even begun. I take some measure of comfort that the world now knows what I have always known – that I was falsely accused and completely innocent of every accusation that was made. I didn't go through this alone – my friends, family and business associates suffered alongside of me both because of the false accusations and their support of me. I am immensely grateful and moved by their unwavering support. I look forward to being able to tell the story of this conspiracy of lies, deceit, blackmail, malicious prosecution and homophobia now that this case has ended.
Bean's attorney, Derek Ashton, also issued a statement, vilifying Bean's accusers:
As pleased as we are with this dismissal, this is a case that never should have been brought in the first place. The prosecutor and the police, relying on a story by a well-known grifter and his now suspended attorney, tracked down the alleged victim in another state and pressured him, through his family, to press charges against an innocent man. They blatantly ignored evidence that the only reason for the accusations was to make good on threats to ruin Mr. Bean's reputation after he refused to succumb to their blackmail and extortion attempts. We have evidence of bullying, misrepresentation, harassment and homophobia by those sworn to uphold the law and protect the rights of all citizens. This is not a happy day—it is a sad day that such a blatant conspiracy against an innocent and honorable man had to go this far and that Mr. Bean had to endure the physical, emotional, reputational and financial repercussions of this miscarriage of justice. We look forward to telling our entire story at the proper time, and exposing the truth behind the hate and malice that inspired this tragic episode.
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