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Charles Pugh Gets Plea Deal

DETROIT (CBS Detroit) Former Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh entered a plea agreement Wednesday, pleading guilty to criminal sexual conduct in exchange for a lighter sentence of 5 and a-half to 15 years behind bars and a lifetime on the sex offender's list.

Pugh, 45, faced up to life in prison on five charges of first and second degree criminal sexual conduct. With the agreement, Pugh  avoided any more days of lurid sex testimony from his accuser, who was between 13 and 15 when the then-38-year Pugh lured him into a sexual relationship.

Pugh's trial was originally set to begin next month.

He was jailed on a $150,000 bond. Pugh was accused of engaging in sexually inappropriate behavior with a 14-year-old boy more than a decade ago.

He nodded his head in the negative throughout the alleged victim's first day of testimony, where he described in graphic detail the sex he said he had with Pugh.

The alleged victim described several incidents, including one that he said happened after a concert to which he accompanied Pugh. The youth said Pugh popped in a homemade sex tape back at his apartment. It depicted himself dancing on a bed, then having sex with another man. Pugh allegedly then asked the teen if he wanted to do what he had seen on the video. The young man consented, and he testified that they had sex.

"I was disillusioned from him being a great guy … He was still somebody that I wanted to learn from," the young man testified, saying he had idolized Pugh as a black, gay man who had made something of himself.

 

Since the victim first brought charges, several other men came forward, willing to testify that Pugh made sexual advances at them as teens.

WWJ Legal Analyst Charlie Langton said, with that in mind, Pugh actually got a pretty good deal — and a couple of factors went into it.

"The complaining witness was credible when he testified at the preliminary exam; and there's no question that he was under 16. That's all that the prosecutor has to show, that he was under 16 at the time that Pugh had sex with him."

The victim spoke to reporters after the sentencing, saying he felt justice was served. "I feel like the full consequences that he has to face is adequate punishment," he said.

He added that Pugh wanted to keep his actions secret so hearing him in court agree with the word "guilty" and admit to what he did felt like justice. "Knowing that he had to admit and recognize the truth" ... was the best punishment, he told reporters.

Pugh will be eligible for parole after serving his minimum sentence but must register for life as a sex offender.

"If he's good in prison, no problems, he'll be out in 5-and-a-half years," said Langton. "But if he messes up in prison, he's got problems, he's not rehabilitated, he doesn't show any remorse...no, he'll stay in there."

 

The victim, now 28, said he has no plans to bring civil charges.

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