As ChurchLeaders reported, Jakes recently filed a defamation lawsuit against Duane Youngblood, a registered sex offender and former Pennsylvania pastor who accused Jakes of sexual assault. Earlier this fall, Youngblood, 58, claimed in an interview that Jakes had assaulted him four decades ago, when Youngblood was 18 or 19.
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Jakes, who denied the allegations and rejected Youngblood’s demand for payment, sued Youngblood for defamation. Jakes filed that suit one day after experiencing a medical incident while leading worship. The pastor’s attorney indicated that stress from false accusations was taking a physical and emotional toll on the church leader.
