Former Charlotte priest faces sex charges

CHARLOTTE (AP) — Police say a former priest in Charlotte has been arrested on charges of having sex with minor dating to an offense the accuser says occurred in 1999.

The Charlotte Observer reported that police said the Rev. Robert Yurgel was taken into custody Wednesday in Passaic, N.J. Police said the accuser was 14 years old in 1999 and recently reported his account to Charlotte-Mecklenburg detectives.

The 43-year-old Yurgel was wanted on five counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor and two counts of statutory sex offense. He will be extradited to Charlotte.

Yurgel was assistant to the pastor at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church when authorities say the incidents occurred.

A spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte said the diocese did not know about the allegations until Wednesday afternoon.

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Information from: The Charlotte Observer, http://www.charlotte.com

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