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Update: 6:05 p.m., Thursday -- Charles Push was arraigned on the sexual assault charges in New York and will be extradited from New York on his next court date, July 7, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said.
Update, 9:25 a.m. Thursday: Past Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh was arrested Thursday morning in New York City on six charges of sexually assaulting a teenage male between September 2003 and May 2004, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office announced.
The case is unrelated to the ex-student who successfully sued Pugh last year in federal court after the councilman made sexual advances. Pugh ran a mentoring program for Detroit students.
In the criminal case, in June 2003, the teen met Pugh, now 44, for the first time when he went to the Fox2 news station with a theater group to perform, the prosecutor's office says in a media release. Pugh was a Fox 2 reporter and anchor at the time.
The teen approached Pugh about an internship and they exchanged phone numbers, the release says.
The teen did not work as an intern at Fox2, but during the summer of 2003, at Pugh’s invitation, the teen went to Pugh’s Detroit apartment several times, authorities stated.
Pugh and the the teen kept in touch by phone, and text messages.
Authorities allege that Pugh had inappropriate sexual contact with the teen at his home in Detroit when the teen was first 14 and then 15. Pugh faces three counts of criminal sexual conduct and three counts of criminal sexual conduct, third degree. The teen in the case is now 27.
Pugh is expected to be extradited to Michigan.
"Despite what the defendant has meant to the City in the past, and the positive work he did here, we cannot and will not turn a blind eye to these alleged facts," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement.
Original article, Wednesday night:
Ex-Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh has been charged in Detroit with criminal sexual conduct in connection with allegations that he had sex with a 14-year-old in a case from Sept. 1, 2003, Fox 2 reports.
The case is separate from one involving a Detroit Public Schools student who successfully sued him last year.
Related article: Lawyer for Ex-Student Who Sued Pugh Comments on Criminal Charges: 'It's About Time'
Pugh faces six counts of criminal sexual conduct, Taryn Asher reports at Fox 2. He was 32 at the time and a morning anchor for Fox 2.
Pugh last listed New York as residence. A police fugitive apprehension team is looking for him, Asher reports.
Pugh was elected council president in 2009. Before that, he had a successful career in the media. He became the first openly gay city council member in Detrroit.
Last year, a federal jury in Detroit awarded a former Detroit student a $250,000 award in sexual harassment case. Pugh texted sexual messages to the student and paid him to produce a video of himself masturbating.
