Charles Pugh
If this is any preview of what's to come, things are going to get ugly.
A 22-year-old man has written an affidavit in federal court saying that he began working as Charles Pugh's personal assistant when he was 14 while Pugh was at WJBK- Fox 2, and then later when Pugh was a city council member, Robert Snell of The Detroit News reports.
Nathaniel Hill, who is currently serving at least an 11-year prison term for carjacking, felony firearm and other charges, wrote in an affidavit in federal court that as a teen he was subjected to unwanted sexual advances from Pugh, who regularly played pornographic movies while he cleaned his house, the News reports.
Hill could testify later this month when trial begins in federal court in a lawsuit filed by a former Detroit public school student who has accused Pugh of making unwanted sexual advances and offering him money and gifts. Trial is set to start Oct. 13. Hill's testimony would illustrate a pattern of behavior, the News reports.
“It was clear to me that Mr. Pugh was attracted to teenaged males,” Hill, wrote in a sworn affidavit. “I saw him pursue young men on several occasions and in various ways. Frequently he was manipulative. Mr. Pugh made it clear that he believed he could attract any young man he set his sights on.”
In the affidavit, Hill chronicles an alleged working relationship with Pugh that started when he was 14 and a student at Cass Tech. He continued to work for Pugh when he ran for city council and after he was elected, the News reports.
“During my employment with Mr. Pugh, I was in his home frequently,” Hill wrote. “On several occasions pornographic videos were on the computer screen while I was present. It was not unusual for me to come into a room and find pornographic material on Mr. Pugh’s computer and talk to him while the material was visible. Pornography was a frequent backdrop to activities at Mr. Pugh’s home when I was there.
“Many of the actors in the pornography videos were very young and appeared to be adolescent or very young adults,” Hill added. “Some videos depicted group sex. All of the pornography was gay pornography.”
"I drove a car for the job although I did not have a driver's license and I was not old enough to obtain a driver's license, and Mr. Pugh knew this," Hill wrote.
"I did some of my work for Mr. Pugh while I was in school and in class. I used my Blackberry phone to check on Mr. Pugh's emails and voicemails throughout the day and to keep in touch with Mr. Pugh. We communicated frequently while I was in class."
"When I heard about the allegations against Mr. Pugh involving sexual involvement with a teenager from Frederick Douglass Academy, I knew they were consistent with what I had experienced. The stories I heard were similar to the experience I had when Mr. Pugh attempted to groom and manipulate me into participating in sexual behavior while I was an underage Detroit Public School student."
