Incoming state Rep. Brian Stout has been accused of sexual abuse.

In a filing seeking a protective order, a woman claimed she had been in a consensual sexual relationship with Stout before he became sexually abusive.

A Columbia County Circuit Court judge granted the protective order last month, prohibiting Stout from having contact with the alleged victim.

Stout’s attorney filed a motion to terminate the protective order, but a different judge denied that motion Monday, Dec. 5. A full evidentiary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 13 — just days before Stout will join his first legislative session as the Republican representative of House District 31.

The woman outlined multiple incidents in 2020 and 2021, in which Stout allegedly groped her, proceeded with sexual contact even after she said no, and threatened to harm himself, her, or her friends or family.

Stout’s wife walked in on one encounter, after which Stout said he was going to kill himself, the woman alleged.

“Brian threatened to kill me if I ever told about us. Once by saying he would shove me off a cliff. Second time he said he would slit my throat,” the woman wrote in the petition for a protective order. On separate occasions, he threatened to “blow his head off” and jump off his roof, the woman alleged.

Stout has denied the woman’s allegations.

Melinda Bernert, the host of a KOHI radio show and a former staffer for Democrat state Rep. Brad Witt, first reported the allegations against Stout on Friday, Dec. 2.

The incidents described in the petition for a protective order happened more than a year ago, but the petition was filed Nov. 7, 2022.

Stout’s attorney, Nicholas Herman, argued that the timing of the petition “speaks volumes to the real reason why the petition was filed — to put verifiably false and malicious allegations in the public record one day before the election in which (Stout) was on the ballot.”

Stout, through his attorney, claimed the woman is a “political operative who assisted at least one of (Stout’s) opponents in this election cycle.”

Seeking a protective order “has simply been a political hatchet job and not an honest request for legal protection from purported sexual abuse,” Stout’s attorney wrote.

Stout’s attorney noted that a records request for the court records was filed by “a consultant with a political action committee” — though that woman, Macie Leach, is a consultant with the Bring Balance to Salem political action committee, which was formed to elect Republicans to the state Legislature.

Stout won the Nov. 8 election by nearly 19 points over Democrat Anthony Sorace.

As of press time, Stout had not responded to questions about the allegations.