SPOKANE, WA  --  Cody Castagna, the hustler involved in the sex scandal with former Washington state Rep. Richard Curtis, pleaded innocent Monday to three counts of theft, two counts of extortion and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion.

Spokane County prosecutors claim Cody Castagna and three others attempted to blackmail Curtis in October after the state legislator met Castagna, a waiter from Spokane, at an adult video store. The two men then traveled to the Davenport Towers Hotel in Spokane where they had sex. Police early suspected Castagna of being part of a larger group that targets gay men for extortion.

Curtis, a Republican from the southwest Washington town of LaCenter, told a newspaper shortly after the story broke that he did not have sex with Castagna and that he was not gay but merely a victim of an extortion attempt by a male prostitute who was seeking to take advantage of his kindness and generosity. "I committed no crime," Curtis said. "I did not solicit sex. I was trying to help somebody out. I am not gay. I have not had sex with a guy. It's been a rough week. Look, the rest of this will all come out. I can't say anything more until I have talked to my attorney. I have never been in this situation before."

However, in police reports, Curtis said that he and Castagna did have sex and that Castagna later took his wallet and threatened to expose him publicly if he did not pay $1,000. Curtis, a married man with a long anti-gay voting record, subsequently resigned.

Castagna is denying all of Curtis' accusations and contends Curtis agreed to pay him $1,000 to have sex with him without a condom.

Spokane County Superior Court Judge Jerome Leveque set a trial date of April 7.

Last update: 01-15-2008 14:24