Main | Monday, July 14, 2014

PENNSYLVANIA: "Ex-Gay" Pastor Duane Youngblood Charged With Molestation

Eight years ago Pastor Duane Youngblood wrote a book titled Freedom From Homosexuality: No Longer Living The Lie. Yesterday he was arrested for molesting a teenage boy dozens of times.
The boy, now 21, told police Youngblood sexually abused him over a period of two-and-a-half years while Youngblood was supposed to be counseling him at the church. The assaults allegedly happened in the church office, bathroom and back room. Reverend Scott Entwisle who lives directly across the street from Youngblood said, “If it is proven it’s horrendous it’s you know worse than horrible … what can I say?” The victim told police that the abuse started in 2009 and ended in 2011 when he was a freshman in college and told Youngblood he didn’t want to be counseled by him anymore. Youngblood reportedly asked the teen not to tell his mother “because he didn’t want to get into trouble.” Neighbors say the pastor is married with multiple children. The Higher Call World Outreach Church is owned by the Youngblood family, according to people who live near it. The criminal complaint also says Duane Youngblood showed a pornographic video on his computer to the victim.
Youngblood has been arrested for molestation before. In fact, the earlier arrest came the same year that his book was published.
Mr. Youngblood, 39, was charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, corruption of minors and sexual assault. Police accused him of a single incident of molesting a 15-year-old boy in his church office in the fall of 2002. "Just encourage the people of God to pray," Mr. Youngblood told reporters as he was led in handcuffs to a police car for the trip to jail. "Pray for me. Pray for all the families involved." Mr. Youngblood said he planned to continue preaching despite his current troubles. He declined to answer direct questions about the allegations, saying, "We'll go through the court to deal with it."
(Tipped by JMG reader DM)

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