Teen Claims Detroit Politico Pursued Him

(CN) - Former Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh "aggressively pursued" a high school student for sexual favors, and gave him $160 in exchange for a video of the boy masturbating, the teen claims in a civil suit.

K.S. sued Detroit Public Schools, former City Council President Charles Pugh, and four employees of Detroit Public Schools in Detroit Federal Court.

K.S. claims in the lawsuit that he met Pugh when he was a student at the Frederick Douglass Academy for Young Men and participated in the Charles Pugh Leadership Forum (CPLF).

"At the beginning of the plaintiff's participation in the CPLF, defendant Pugh began to provide extra attention to plaintiff and began to 'groom' him in preparation for making sexual advances to the plaintiff," the complaint states.

"At a time beginning no later than May 2013, defendant Pugh, as part of the grooming process, began assisting plaintiff with obtaining a job. Defendant Pugh specifically informed plaintiff that he would take him to purchase clothing for his 'job interview.' Plaintiff indicated that he needed to get permission from his mother. Plaintiff used defendant Pugh's cell phone to call his mother, who specifically did not give him permission to go with defendant Pugh.

"At a time beginning no later than May 2013, defendant Pugh told plaintiff to meet him outside the school around 2:00 p.m., knowing that any such meeting would be without his mother's approval.

"At around 2:00 p.m. plaintiff exited the school and got into defendant Pugh's black Lincoln Town Car. Pugh and plaintiff left the school and drove to the Men's Warehouse, K&G Men's Warehouse, and Metro PCS, all located in the City of Madison Heights, County of Oakland, State of Michigan.

"On that same day, defendant Pugh learned for the first time that plaintiff did not have a cell phone and that all of defendant's text messages had been sent to plaintiff's mother's phone.

"Plaintiff's mother believed that these text messages were from a girl that had a crush on plaintiff, and did not know that in fact they were from defendant Pugh.

"Defendant Pugh then took plaintiff to Metro PCS in Madison Heights, where defendant Pugh purchased a phone and provided it to plaintiff.

"That same day, while visiting K&G Men's Warehouse and Men's Warehouse, each time plaintiff tried on a pair of pants, defendant Pugh doted on the plaintiff by tucking in his pants and adjusting the clothes in a manner that made plaintiff very uncomfortable. Upon their departure from the clothing store, defendant Pugh stopped at CVS to withdraw money from an ATM. When defendant Pugh returned to the vehicle, Pugh handed plaintiff forty ($40.00) dollars and, while smiling, put his hand on plaintiff's upper thigh.

"Plaintiff removed defendant Pugh's hand from his thigh, but defendant Pugh laughed while staring at plaintiff.

"On the same evening, defendant Pugh began text messaging plaintiff on a regular basis, aggressively pursuing plaintiff for a sexual relationship, and offering him money and gifts in exchange for sex or videos of the plaintiff performing sexual acts. Defendant Pugh did so based on the grooming that he had performed on plaintiff while plaintiff was part of the CPLF at the FDAYM."

K.S. claims that his mother contacted the assistant principal for Detroit Public Schools with her concerns about Pugh's relationship with her son and was told her "concerns had not been forgotten."

But "on or about June 1, 2013, plaintiff told defendant Pugh he needed one hundred sixty dollars, and defendant Pugh agreed to give plaintiff the money, in exchange for plaintiff making a video of himself masturbating," the complaint states.

It continues: "On or about June 1, 2013, plaintiff, via text messaging, told defendant Pugh he did not feel comfortable making a video for him. Defendant Pugh replied that plaintiff would not receive the money unless he made the video.

"On or about June 2, 2013, plaintiff recorded a video of himself masturbating on an iPod given to him by defendant Pugh and gave it to defendant Pugh in exchange for one hundred sixty ($160.00) dollars.

"On or about June 3, 2013, defendant Pugh, via text messaging, offered to perform oral sex on plaintiff in exchange for money," the complaint states.

Pugh resigned from the Detroit City Council in 2013 after allegations surfaced that he had an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old high school student, according to Detroit media reports.

Oakland County prosecutors declined to pursue charges against him.

K.S. is represented by William Seikaly with Seikaly & Stewart in Farmington Hills, Mich.

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Email *

Submit