*Sexual coercion accusations, such as the ones leveled at Bishop Eddie Long, can be difficult to prove in court, but cases have been won against other religious leaders, experts say.
There must be proof that the religious leader compromised the will of his victim, said Atlanta attorney Lee Parks, who has represented people coerced into sex.
“It is not enough to say they got enough gifts until they said yes,” Parks said. “That is still yes.”
Proving that in the Long case will be difficult, because the plaintiffs were of legal age of consent, and don’t assert they were forced to submit, made drunk or drugged, Parks said. Consequently, there must be proof that Long had so much control over his accusers they had no power to resist, the attorney said.
