The attorney for the U.S. Republican congressman who was forced to resign over e-mails and instant messages he sent to young male aides said Tuesday his client had been molested by a clergyman when he was a teen.

Attorney David Roth made the claim at a news conference in Florida, and said it was part of Mark Foley's "recovery."

Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla. speaks at a news conference in Tallahassee, Fla. in this March 16, 2004 file photo. Foley submitted a letter of resignation from Congress on Friday in the wake of questions about e-mails he wrote a former male page, according to a congressional official.
(Phil Coale/Associated Press)

Roth said Foley had been molested by a clergyman between the ages of 13 and 15, but cited legal reasons for refusing to identify the church or further details. He also revealed that the former congressman is gay.

Foley, who had served in office from Florida since 1995, resigned last week ahead of the ABC News broadcast of an e-mail he had sent to a 16-year-old male congressional page in 2005.

Since that time, several lurid instant messages alleged to be from Foley's personal account to other male pages have been publicly released.

In addition to an internal investigation, the FBI is probing to see whether criminal charges are appropriate.

Roth said Tuesday the scope of any investigation wouldn't extend to Foley's dealings in person with pages or other minors.

"There was absolutely never any inappropriate sexual conduct with any minor," said David Roth.

"Any suggestion that Mark Foley is a pedophile is false, categorically false" he added.

'Dismayed and shocked,' says Bush

President George W. Bush commented on the growing scandal for the first time while in California Tuesday, and encouraged an investigation and charges, if appropriate.

“I was dismayed and shocked to learn about Congressman Foley’s unacceptable behaviour,” said Bush. “I was disgusted by the revelation and disappointed that he would violate the trust of the citizens who placed him in office.”

The scandal has rocked Washington and threatens the Republican party's hold in both the House and Senate heading into crucial mid-term elections in early November.

The fact that Foley served as co-chairman of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus has Democrats seizing a chance to attack their opposition's claim to be a party of family values.

Calls have come for the resignation of Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert, on the basis that he and other members of the party leadership had been aware of an inappropriate e-mail since last year after the parents of a page came forward.

In the e-mail, Foley had asked a male page to send his photograph.

Hastert and other Republicans have said that Foley was warned about the incident, but that they were unaware of the existence of the sexually charged instant messages.

Since resigning, the 52-year-old Foley has entered a treatment facility.

"I strongly believe that I am an alcoholic and have accepted the need for immediate treatment for alcoholism and other behavioural problems," Foley said in a statement released Monday.

Meanwhile, Republicans in tight races have been returning campaign contributions they have received from Foley.

With files from the Associated Press