TACOMA, Wash. - A Pierce County judge defended himself against sex charges and making a death threat in court on Monday.

On the witness stand, Michael Hecht testified that everything being said about him paying for sex with male prostitutes is not true.

The allegations that Hecht had sex with male prostitutes - and threatened to kill one of them - surfaced after he was elected to Pierce County Superior Court a year ago.

On Monday, the judge took the stand, saying he's not a sex client but a grandfatherly type just trying to help people.

"He was on the street," Hecht testified. "He would come over and try to bum change, bum money."

Hecht was referring to a key witness in the case against him - Joseph Pfeiffer, the male prostitute who testified earlier in the trial that Hecht paid him for sex many times.

Hecht said it's "not true" that he first had sex with Pfeiffer in spring or summer 2006. The judge says he took Pfeiffer back to his law office after hours to offer friendly advice.

"Not a father figure - I've got enough kids," Hecht testified. "But along those lines, maybe like a helpful grandpa type."

Hecht's attorney asked, "And you would counsel him?" Hecht answered, "Yes."

But then came the cross-examination from Assistant State Attorney General John Hillman.

"You knew that he hung out on Broadway selling himself for money, correct?" Hillman asked.

"Yes," Hecht answered.

"And you were one of his customers?"

"No," Hecht answered. "Just a grandfather figure."

Hecht said he never made a death threat against another male prostitute, Joey Hesketh. He insisted he didn't know Hesketh before he confronted him in an alley last year.

Hecht also testified he doesn't know John Marx, the first man to testify they had paid sex.

"Until he testified in court sitting here I had never seen him before, ever," Hecht said.

But Hillman kept pressing about more than 200 phone calls Hecht made to a known pimp.

"Did he ever show you nude photographs of either Joe Pfeiffer or Joey Hesketh?" Hillman asked.

"No," Hecht answered.

"Did Mr. Graham introduce you to transient men so you could have sex with them?"

"Absolutely not."

The defense then rested its case, and closing arguments are set for the morning. Then it will be up to the jury to decide who to believe.