Duane Youngblood, a former pastor and ex-convict, recently resurfaced in the public domain with accusations against T.D. Jakes, a bishop intimately familiar to many Americans. The allegations placed by Duane have prompted a federal defamation lawsuit filed by Jake thereby reviving attention on cases of Duane being a convicted s*x offender.
Pastor Duane Youngblood’s criminal records
His offenses started in 2006 when he was convicted for the s*xual assault of a 15-year-old boy whom he was counseling. This was followed by a prison term of 4 ½ to 9 years of which he served a part before being released on probation.
According to CBS News, in 2014, the same year he left prison on probation, Duane was charged with corrupting the morals of a minor after he was accused of sexually molesting another teenager for 2 and a half years.
The alleged abuse happened during counseling sessions in the church in which his sheer role was to guide young people but instead, he exploited his position of trust. Here the victim stated that Youngblood had a way of telling the victim not to divulge the abuse to anyone.
After these charges, Duane underwent a probation violation hearing in June 2015. At this particular hearing, Judge David Cashman of Allegheny County criticized Youngblood, telling him he had been led, deceived, and lied to throughout this case.
Finally, Youngblood received a new probation violation sentence of 54 - 108 months imprisonment owing to these new charges. This sentence was to be served consecutively with another 16 to 48 months imprisonment handed down for corruption of minors case.
Judge Cashman was quoted by the news outlet stating at the time of the hearing:
“He has lied, scammed and conned me since the day I got the case. 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’s criminal records are such that make him a registered s*x offender. The subject’s actions have angered a lot of the public especially since they happened under the guise of religion and under the pretense of being a pastor.
Why is he in the news?
Pastor T.D. Jakes of Potter’s House Dallas Texas church has filed a defamation lawsuit against Youngblood. This came after Duane made grave allegations against Jakes in a podcast. Duane alleged sexual misconduct by Jakes nearly four decades ago.
Background on the lawsuit
Jakes filed the lawsuit on November 15, 2024, after Duane made some defamatory information during an episode of the Larry Reid Live podcast. In the latest episode which is entitled “The Abused Become the Abuser”, Duane accused Jakes of attempting to sexually abuse him when the former was still a teenager.
He said Jakes wrapped his arms around him during a trip to Pittsburgh and tried to kiss him. He further alleged receiving a phone call from Jakes to discuss having a s*xual relationship.
The defendants have alleged that Youngblood has been fibbing and brought the lawsuit for selfish business reasons. Per Trib Live, after the podcast, Youngblood sought $6 million from Jakes to hush the issue, vowing to take him to the court for s*xual assault if the demands were not met. The media outlet cited the complaint, reporting:
“Youngblood’s intent and motive for making these allegations would be made absolutely clear with his exorbitant financial demands weeks later.”
Jakes’ legal counsel claims that such actions amount to extortion and these actions have provoked a medical emergency that Jakes suffered during a church service shortly after accusations were made against him.
According to USA Today, Jakes experienced a "slight health incident" during a sermon on Sunday.
Legal claims and responses
The grievance filed with the Commission has accusations of libel and civil conspiracy against Duane. According to it, Duane’s statements have damaged Jakes’ image and endangered his philanthropic work.
The lawsuit reveals the emotional toll of such accusations on Jakes who has declared that he stands for a true victim of s*xual abuse while at the same time categorically denying any wrongdoing on his part.
There is also a focus on Youngblood’s criminal past; he is a two-time registered s*x offender, who has been convicted of s*xual assault and corruption of minors in the lawsuit. Such history casts doubts on his reliability in the course of being a witness.
So far, Duane has not personally addressed all the accusations made by Jakes in the lawsuit but in the past, he stated that he was also a child, who was s*xually abused.
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In his 2015 hearing, Youngblood, as per CBS News, told the court:
“When I was 12, I won a singing competition. I was taken to a penthouse and was s*xually assaulted that night. I hate myself because I didn't say a word. I wish I'd done something to stop it, but I didn't.”
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