Charles Pugh after an extradition hearing in New York this yeaer.
After a Manhattan judge ordered him extradited to Detroit on Thursday, ex-Detroit Council President Charles Pugh had to do what's commonly known as the "perp walk," where police escorted him in handcuffs and shackles outside the courthouse, passed photographers and reporters and into a van.
“I have no comment,” said Pugh, wearing a beige jumpsuit as he flashed a smile, the New York Post reports. Pugh is charged with having sex with an under-aged teenager in Detroit more than 10 years ago when Pugh worked as an anchor and reporter for Fox 2. He later was elected to the city council.
Meanwhile, William Seikaly, the lawyer in an unrelated case involving Pugh, had some harsh words for the ex-councilman, who had moved to New York. Seikaly represented the ex-Detroit high school student who successfully sued Pugh in federal court last year for $250,000, alleging sexual harassment. Evidence during trial showed that Pugh made sexual advances to the high school student he was mentoring, and paid the student to make a video of himself masturbating. He was never charged criminally in the case.
Pugh is expected to be transported to Detroit this week and arraigned in this latest case.
In a written statement to Deadline Detroit on Thursday, Seikaly says:
I believe that this is beginning of the end of another tragic story for our community. Charles Pugh used his position, power and status for his own benefit and to the serious detriment of many young men and their families.
We hope that this will be a wake-up call to the community. Pugh's conduct was the worst kept secret in the City of Detroit, and yet it took my client’s mother, a lone courageous woman, who said: “No more. Not with my child. Not with any child ever again!” to bring the story to light.
We need to create a culture that when we see something harmful to young people we say and do something to stop it. We need to make it safe for victims to come forward without retribution or harassment.
Finally, we hope that this young man will experience a more positive and supportive response from the community and avoid the accusations and re-victimization that all too often occurs in these types of cases.
