On the scene report from Charlotte, NC, where another pedophile priest cops a plea

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By David Fortwengler

(He raped the adolescent altar boy for two years. Robert Yurgel pled guilty to one count of a second degree sexual offense in South Carolina today, for rape of an altar boy over a two-year period. Charged with 'indecent liberties with a child and statutory rape' Robert Yurgel pled guilty to 1 count of a second degree sexual offense and got a 92 month sentence. He is likely to serve 7 years 8 months.

There was the usual flurry of news stories, about three paragraphs in the Charlotte Observer. Cameras of course got the press statement afterwards, with a dramatic angle on the victim as he read his story, that exact same footage then ran on every local station. City of Angels Stringer David Fortwengler was in Charlotte today and filed this report:)

Today former priest Robert Yurgel did not pass go and did not collect two hundred dollars. Still every one of the news reports refer to 'allegations' and call the survivors “alleged victims.”

As Robert Yurgel walked off today in handcuffs, a bunch of people were crying, I had tears in my eyes too. But I also felt like asking one of the bailiffs is it okay if I tap dance.

I knew there was a chance Yurgel was going to plead guilty today. With the courts, you don’t know for sure until it happens. So of course I looked at Abuse Tracker first thing, and sure enough, there’s a quote from Yurgel’s attorney saying he’s going to do a plea. It was a beautiful day today gorgeous day for the hour and a half drive to Charlotte.

I'm driving along and I feel like a guy who’s going to a rock concert when you know your band is going to play your favorite songs. I drive along listening to the radio -

In the courtroom the judge orders the lawyer and Yurgel to stand up. The judge says I find the aggravating factors out weigh mitigating factors. The deputy already has his handcuffs out. They look like shiny silver bracelets.

The handcuffs were shining.

When he clicks them on, the courtroom is silent so the handcuffs closing sounded like a two thousand pound jailhouse door.

You could hear it when they clicked and the whole place was silent. The guys next to me, all the media people, the family crying, me crying.

You know what the guy sitting next to me said?

“Damn Catholics”

A black dude in the courtroom, I have no idea if he was there or another case or what. He was part of the public, hearing that story in the middle of all that drama, he goes, “Damn Catholics.”

Q: Can you describe Robert Yurgel?

He’s a dangerous child molester In the courtroom today, he didn't speak. The prosecutor described where the crimes occurred and what the acts were. The way the courtroom is set up, you can hardly hear what they say.

ME: What happened to public justice?

Yeah, a few words I could hear were -

oral sex

penis.

Half the courtroom are people involved in other cases, so as all this was being explained, words like Catholic priest, altar boy, rectory penis,

People in the courtroom would hear those words.

But the word that kept jumping out to them was 'Catholic’ because the word ‘Catholic’ got said about fifteen times.

I could see the people around the courtroom with their jaws half dropped.

For a lot of people today Yurgel’s plea was the best of times and the worst of times but what was so great, is to see so many people who take child sex abuse serious.

ME: WHO DO YOU MEAN?

Our government.

It’s like this, this is not a game for them. Inside these courtrooms, this is where the real business takes place. Yurgel got 92 to 120 months today, in Courtroom 5310.

The victim was in the courtroom with his family,

ME: HOW WERE THEY ABLE TO PROSECUTE HIM?

The kid came forward last year. They said at first it was a problem because the case was eight years old, and I chuckled like right, real old case, eight years.

That's a blink of an eye in priest pedophile world.

Charlotte law enforcement had the victim call Yurgel while detectives were monitoring the call and in on the conversation, the prosecutor said. “We would have put the phone conversation in as evidence,” she said in court today.

Evidently in the phone call, Yurgel admits “I'm sorry for what I did, I crossed the line, I'm sorry for what I did” and he even said thanks for not telling on me because it would have ruined my life.

The phone call would have been played in front of a jury. That's the reason the guy took a guilty plea. I was amazed when I heard they arrested him, I knew they had evidence

He’s going to do 92 months to 120 months, probably 7 years 8 months and it could be as long as ten years. ‘

But the defendant Robert Yurgel never spoke, he never turned around or gave any indication - I could not see his face as he walked out. Medium height heavy set build, from what I could see he kept a stone faced

It was an interesting time to see so many people when they are so stressed, it’s that juxtaposition of the best of times and worst of times.

But the general public in that courtroom, their jaws dropped as they looked around, going this is unbelievable.

Then it was time for judgment.

The judge said the aggravating factors outweighed the mitigating factors.

The defense attorney said Yergel has “clearly admitted that he stepped over the line.”

When I heard that I thought, I'm so glad this former altar boy came forward.

When you heard how Yurgel groomed this kid and his pattern, that is the classic excuse behavior of a predator.

Yurgel admitted he “stepped over the line”

The judge said, okay anything else

92 to 120 months, 31 days credit for time served.

Next case.

I thought this was going to be that part where the scholarly judge scolds the criminal saying, what you did is a crime to society and I'm glad that you've been brought before this court

It’s just
Next case.
That's the way they handle it

After they're done all the crew leave the courtroom, I'm thinking, that's the closest thing to a church I’ve been into in a long time.

The courtroom is like a church.

People sitting in the pews, a guy up high at the end, the jury is like the little choir guys, the people in front are the lectors doing the speaking and stuff, except instead of church, except real business was taking place, lives were being changed in that room.

When we do things well it’s amazing how good we can be.

The prosecutor came out and all the reporters clamoring and the family is crying, you don’t know whether to say I'm sorry or I'm so happy I can’t see straight, so proud, a huge mix of emotions.

The thing about the media coverage.

Today Yurgel did not pass go did not collect two hundred dollars.

Still every one of the news reports still refers to allegations, call the survivors “alleged victims.”

They never refer to Pope Benedict as the alleged Holy Father.

I was there today. This kid the former altar boy, he’s earned the title victim

ME: Yeah, he’s a genuine victim

No, he's a genuine hero.

When I was standing outside later in the smoking area a guy asked me what's going on.

I told him why I was here and what the case was about - he was on jury duty who came outside to smoke a cigarette

And he says to me:

I was abused by a family member as a kid and I'm so proud of what you're doing, and so proud that other people have been able to speak up. He said it, I don't know what it was that made me come down to take my cigarette break now, and here, but he’s like, I'm so glad to see people are talking about child sex abuse this way.

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END OF REPORT
By City of Angels Stringer
David Fortwengler
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Eventually someone is going to connect the dots and see the national connection, the federal connection, the networking, the clever manipulation and spiritual fraud - again, we need creative lawyering and we need to create new charges for the bishops, in order to get justice.

"Most of the molestation took place in the rectory of this church," reported every local TV station, followed by B-roll of the rectory of the Charlotte church where the rapes took place. The story goes on and on and City of Angels does not understand why the whole country is not up in arms and shouting like Nancy Grace at their local prosecutors.