WBTV
April 2, 2008
http://www.wbtv.com/home/17248879.html
A former Charlotte priest is facing several charges for allegedly molesting a boy in Charlotte several years ago.
Investigators say Rev. Robert Yurgel was assigned to St. Matthew Catholic Church in Charlotte's Ballantyne area.
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Yurgel was arrested Wednesday afternoon and booked at the Passaic County Sheriff's Office in New Jersey.
The 43-year-old now faces 5 charges of indecent liberties with a child
and 2 charges statutory rape. Each of the incidents occurred in Charlotte.
Some of the people WBTV spoke with Wednesday night said they would have never believed he would be accused of this.
Santiago Leon is a member at St. Matthew Catholic Church. He knew Robert Yurgel as Father Bob and says his former minister never acted suspicious.
Yurgel was an assistant to the pastor from 1997 to 1999. According to police reports, the alleged sexual abuse occurred in 1999.
According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, the boy recently came forward. The allegations led to Yurgel's arrest on Wednesday afternoon at the Passaic, New Jersey, church where he lived in the rectory.
Yurgel has been working in New Jersey for about nine years. He is expected to be extradicted back to Charlotte within the next two weeks.
WBTV's Tom Roussey has more details in this report. Press "PLAY" to see this story.
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