Trump supporter Jerry Falwell fights voyeurism claims amid sex scandal

Prominent evangelist Jerry Falwell Jr is embroiled in a sex scandal involving his wife, a pool boy and claims of voyeurism.

Jerry Falwell (R) and Donald Trump attend a commencement ceremony at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Picture: AFP.

One of Donald Trump’s most prominent evangelical backers has been forced to deny claims he has resigned as president of a well known Christian college amid a sex scandal involving his wife, a pool boy and claims of voyeurism.

Jerry Falwell Jr was reported by multiple US media outlets to have stood down from Liberty University after a Miami man claimed he had an eight-year affair with Becki Falwell and that Mr Falwell enjoyed watching the two having sex.

Jerry Falwell, Jr., introduces Donald Trump at a rally at Liberty University in 2017. Picture: AFP.

Mr Falwell, 58, acknowledged the affair in a statement but denied the claim of voyeurism.

He said he and his family were blackmailed by the man, who had an “inappropriate personal relationship” with Becki Falwell.

He said that the affair led him to suffer from depression but that ultimately he forgave his wife and the man.

Mr Falwell didn’t name the man but a former pool attendant called Giancarlo Granda told CNN and Reuters he had been having an affair with Mrs Falwell and her husband “enjoyed watching from the corner of the room,” while they were having sex.

Mr Granda said he was 20 when he met the couple while working as a pool attendant at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel in March 2012.

Mr Granda told Reuters he and Mrs Falwell had sex “multiple times per year” at hotels in Miami and New York and at the Falwells’ home in Virginia.

A spokesperson for both Falwells said the claim that Mr Falwell observed the two having sex was untrue.

In his statement, Mr Falwell said: “Becki had an inappropriate personal relationship with this person, something in which I was not involved.”

It is the latest scandal to embroil Mr Falwell, who in May was forced to apologise for a tweet showing a person in blackface, and posting a photo to his Instagram account in which his shirt was up and he was holding a glass of dark liquid. He had his arm around the waist of a young woman and his trousers also appeared to be unzipped.

Mr Falwell said on Tuesday (AEST) that he had not resigned from Liberty University but was on leave due to stress. The university said Mr Falwell was on “indefinite leave “.