Former Homestead Pastor Gets 54-108 Months In Probation Violation Case
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Former Homestead pastor Duane Youngblood was sentenced to 54-108 months in jail for violating terms of his probation when he was convicted of corrupting the morals of a minor while on probation for a previous sex offense involving young people.
Youngblood had at one time been pastor of the Higher Call World Outreach Church in Homestead.
At an emotional probation violation hearing this morning, Allegheny County Judge David Cashman's disgust was clear.
"He has lied, scammed and conned me since the day I got the case," Cashman said.
"A year after he was on probation, he faced new charges. The court has been misled, deceived and lied to so he could prey on children."
Youngblood himself told the judge he takes responsibility for his actions, but was himself a victim of sexual molestation as he grew up.
"When I was 12, I won a singing competition. I was taken to a penthouse and was sexually assaulted that night," Youngblood told the judge."I hate myself because I didn't say a word. I wish I'd done something to stop it, but I didn't."
But the mother of the young boy who was the victim in the latest case told the judge Youngblood is a predator.
"When my son told me what happened, it was like someone pulled my heart out of my chest," she said. "This man with an ankle bracelet was still molesting children."
"He betrayed my son, he betrayed my family….He told my son, 'Whatever you do, do not tell your mother.'"
Defense attorney Milton Raiford said he was not surprised by the judge's sentence.
"Considering all the vitriol that's surrounding it, considering the public outcry and the way people feel when that kind of thing has happened, when the church turns out not to be a safe place and your son has been victimized by your pastor, when you consider all the things that could have gone according to statute, I thought the sentence was fair," Raiford said.
The latest 54-108 month sentence is to be served in addition to the 16-48 month sentence imposed by Judge Jill Rangos earlier this year in the corruption of minors case.
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