Anti-LGBT lawmaker caught having gay sex in office faces over 30 allegations of sexual harassment
By Will Stroude
An anti-LGBT US lawmaker who resigned after being caught having sex with a man in his office is facing a wave of allegations of sexual harassment.
Ohio state legislator Wes Goodman, who was elected in November 2016 on a platform of “family values” before stepping down last week after the incident involving an unnamed man came to light, has been accused of sexual misconduct by over 30 individuals according to Independent Journal Review.
Dozens of young men claim that they were targeted by Goodman on social media, where the married Republican politician would pretend to act as a mentor before sending suggestive messages and sexually explicit photos.
Many of the men backed up their claims with screenshots of messages on both Facebook Messenger and Snapchat, IJR reports.
“He sent me videos of him masturbating, as well as d**k pics,” said one source, who chose to remain anonymous.
“He also sent another Snapchat asking how big my penis was. I immediately blocked him. He later [messaged] me on both Instagram and Facebook, leading me to block him on both apps as well.”
The claims come just days after The Washington Post reported that Goodman was accused of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old boy at a fundraiser in 2015. The incident was never made public and Goodman went on to win his election campaign the next year.
In a statement issued after his resignation last week, Goodman said: “We all bring our own struggles and our own trials into public life.
“That has been true for me, and I sincerely regret that my actions and choices have kept me from serving my constituents and our state in a way that reflects the best ideals of public service.”
“For those whom I have let down, I’m sorry. As I move onto the next chapter of my life, I sincerely ask for privacy for myself, my family and my friends.”
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