Pugh Update: Case Moves Forward Following Preliminary Hearing; Defense Request to Lower Bail Granted

DETROIT – Judge Deborah Langston from the 36th District Court had some harsh words to say about former Detroit City Council President and Fox 2 news anchor Charles Pugh at his preliminary hearing last Thursday.
"It appears to me that Mr. Pugh is a gay pedophile," Langston said as she bound the case over for trial. "And I don't care that he's gay. That's his business. I am concerned about children."
Langston added that the now 27-year-old accuser "became his unofficial gopher and sex slave."
The accuser, who has not been identified because he is an alleged victim of a sex crime, testified for more than an hour in graphic detail about his relationship with Pugh. In testimony similar to that given by Khody Sanford, the accuser in Pugh's civil trial who eventually won a $250,000 settlement against him, the new accuser said his sexual relationship first began in 2003 when Pugh put his hand on his thigh. The accuser was at the time only 14.
"He looked at me lovingly," the accuser recalled. "He looked at me like he was in awe or he was just really, really infatuated."
Things escalated when the accuser was invited over to Pugh's apartment to help put together a desk. While there, the accuser claimed that Pugh put on a video depicting a man masturbating. As the accuser, who testified he already knew he was gay, became aroused, Pugh allegedly asked him if he wanted to do something about his erection. The accuser then began masturbating and Pugh eventually joined in. From there, the relationship escalated to Pugh performing oral sex on the teen and more, the accuser testified.
In all, Pugh is charged with six counts of criminal sexual conduct – three first degree charges and two second degree. A sixth charge was dropped when Pugh's defense attorney, Delphia Burton, proved that the alleged incident took place when the accuser was 16, the legal age of consent in Michigan.
Burton charged that Pugh's accuser is making the claims against Pugh because he's ultimately hoping to be awarded money in a civil suit.
"He's hoping to get a payday and that's what this is all about," Burton said.
The accuser said that simply was not true, and claimed for years he thought he was the only one Pugh had done this to. He came forward last year, he said, after learning about Sanford and hearing Pugh dismiss those charges against him.
"He said, 'this is all a lie and the city of Detroit knows that this never happened,'" the accuser recalled. "That really upset me. … You're running away to a different state. I'm not going to let you do this to any other kids."
Pugh's next court appearance will be Aug. 12 when he is to be officially arraigned. If convicted, Pugh faces up to 15 years in prison for the third degree charges and life behind bars for the first.
One thing did go Pugh's way at the hearing: his bond was reduced from $500,000 cash or surety to $150,000 cash. If he makes bail, Pugh would have to surrender his driver's license and passport, wear a tether and stay away from young men under the age of 16.
At press time, Pugh remained jailed.