Alabama Republican Says Women Accusing Roy Moore of Sexual Misconduct Should Go To Jail

Prominent Republicans are calling on Roy Moore to drop out of the Alabama Senate race after multiple women have come forward to accuse him of propositioning them when they were teens. But at least one conservative is in Moore’s corner: Alabama State Rep. Ed Henry.

Henry, who represents Hartselle in Cullen County, claims that if the allegations are true, his accusers deserve to be prosecuted for not reporting his actions sooner.

“If they believe this man is predatory, they are guilty of allowing him to exist for 40 years,” he told The Cullman Times on Thursday. “I think someone should prosecute and go after them. You can’t be a victim 40 years later, in my opinion.”

At the time of writing, four women have come forward to allege that Moore engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior when he worked at the district attorney’s office.

Leigh Corfman, then just 14, told the Washington Post that he gave her his phone number after approaching her outside of a courtroom. The pair went on two dates, despite the fact that Moore was nearly 20 years her senior at the time. On the second, Moore instructed her to remove her clothing and then fondled her over her bra and panties, nearly nude himself during the encounter. The age of consent is 16 in Alabama.

Three additional women accuse Moore of pedophilic behavior, although none say that their involvement with him went as far as intercourse.

The Congressional hopeful, who is currently leading Democrat Doug Jones in a special election for the Senate, has claimed that the allegations are “garbage” and “the definition of fake news.” He also said that the reports are a plot by the Democratic Party and the Washington Post to derail his campaign.

Henry agrees.

He says that Moore represents a threat to establishment leaders like Arizona Sen. John McCain and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who have called upon Moore to “step aside.”

“McConnell and McCain, what they said about Moore ending his campaign just really gets to me,” Henry said, also calling out Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby for joining the GOP chorus calling for his resignation. “They are two of the biggest goobers we have in Washington, D.C. Everyone close to the establishment is going to love this.”

Henry, who initially threw in his hat for the Alabama Senate race before pulling out, doubts that the backlash will end Moore’s campaign. He called the suggestion “ludicrous.”

“If this was a habit, like you’ve read with Bill Cosby and millions of dollars paid to settle cases and years of witnesses, that would be one thing,” he claimed. “You cannot tell me there hasn’t been an opportunity through the years to make these accusations with as many times as [Moore has run for office] and been in the news.”

But more than anything, the state representative just doesn’t believe Moore’s accusers.

“I’m not buying it,” Henry continued. “It’s too easy for someone to make these accusations. It’s foolish to go down that road, it’s like what if a frog had wings, he wouldn’t bump his ass every time he jumps.”

Moore, one the nation’s most virulently anti-LGBTQ politicians, has refused to step down following the allegations. After the Washington Post story broke, the ousted Alabama Supreme Court justice even used the claims to solicit donations from his supporters. Moore claimed in a fundraising email that his campaign needed money to fight the “Obama-Clinton Machine’s liberal media lapdogs [sic].”

The Republican candidate was removed from the bench in 2015 after attempting to block same-sex marriages in Alabama, and being found guilty of numerous ethical violations. Moore has also claimed that homosexuality should be illegal and compared same-sex marriage to slavery.

Photography:Gary Tramontina/Getty Images