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ATLANTA — Two men have filed a lawsuit accusing Bishop Eddie Long of exploiting his role as pastor of an Atlanta-area megachurch to coerce them into sexual relationships when they were young members of his congregation.
Lawyers for the men, now 20 and 21, say they filed the lawsuit on Tuesday. The Associated Press generally does not identify people who say they were victims of sexual impropriety.
The men were 17- and 18-year-old members of Long's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church when they say Long abused his spiritual authority to seduce them with with cars, money, clothes, jewelry, international trips and access to celebrities.
'Personal sexual gratification'
B.J. Bernstein, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, said that when the relationships started, the plaintiffs were past the legal age of consent in Georgia, which is 15.
"Defendant Long has utilized his spiritual authority to coerce certain young male members ... into engaging in sexual acts and relationships for his own personal sexual gratification," the lawsuits read.
"This be outrageous! I'm just a tool of the Pope! He axed me to help take some heat off'n the Church!"
Spilled the beans about a man's private life after he said he wouldn't. 
