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Thursday, March 16, 2006                                                                                       View Comments

Homestead pastor charged with molesting 15-year-old

HOMESTEAD, Pa. - The founder and pastor of a suburban Pittsburgh church molested a 15-year-old boy he counseled four years ago, police charged Thursday.

The Rev. Duane Youngblood of the Higher Call World Outreach Church in Homestead, told reporters he was innocent and asked for prayer as he surrendered to Allegheny County police.

The teen was molested after his mother sent him to Youngblood for counseling, police said.

County police Lt. Robert Downey said police only learned of the boy's allegations last fall. It wasn't immediately clear whether the boy had reported the alleged abuse to other agencies before that.

Youngblood was charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, sexual assault and corruption of minors.

Youngblood is a married father of five, according to the Web site of his church, which he founded in 1990.
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Church website: http://www.netministries.org/see/churches/ch22941?frameN

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