Man who accused Seattle mayor of sex abuse drops suit

SEATTLE (AP) - The man who accused Seattle Mayor Ed Murray of sexually abusing him when he was a teenager has asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit he filed against the mayor.

In a motion filed Tuesday, Delvonn Heckard's lawyer, Lincoln Beauregard, said Heckard "feels as though it would be wise to complete his extensive counseling and recovery" before moving forward with the case.

Beauregard said Heckard still wants to proceed with the legal action but "determined that it would be better for the success of the lawsuit, and the citizens of the City of Seattle," if the case went forward once Murray was out of office.

Murray, who has denied the allegations, dropped his re-election bid because of the lawsuit. It had claimed Murray paid Heckard for sex in the 1980s.

The Associated Press does not typically identify alleged victims of sex abuse, but Heckard has said he wanted his name made public.