Lawsuit alleges Freeport pastor and gospel singer Donnie McClurkin sexually abused personal assistant for years

A former Rockville Centre man has sued a Freeport pastor and Grammy-winning gospel singer, accusing him of sexual abuse lasting about a dozen years.

The lawsuit, filed on Friday, accuses famed pastor Donnie McClurkin, 66, of repeated sexual assault and rape of a man who sought help from McClurkin's church and later worked as his personal assistant. The alleged victim, Giuseppe Corletto, is seeking unspecified damages in New York County Supreme Court.

McClurkin, of Rockville Centre, serves as pastor of the Perfecting Faith Church in Freeport and has won three Grammy Awards for his gospel music performances. Staff at the church declined to comment on Tuesday.

McClurkin did not return messages left on Tuesday by Newsday seeking comment. His attorney, Gregory Lisi, called the allegations "categorically false."

"At no time did Pastor McClurkin engage in any form of sexual abuse, assault, or sexual coercion of Mr. Corletto," Lisi said in a statement. "The claims set forth in the lawsuit grossly mischaracterize their interactions, which occurred over a decade, and some accusations over 2 decades, ago. All these allegations are contradicted by the real facts."

No criminal charges have been filed in the case. Nassau County district attorney officials said there was no open criminal investigation into McClurkin. 

Corletto met McClurkin in 2003 when he was 21, according to the lawsuit. He said he met the pastor at the Long Island church after reading McClurkin’s book, "Eternal Victim, Eternal Victor," which the lawsuit says is "centered on being delivered from homosexuality."

The lawsuit says McClurkin became Corletto's mentor and asked him to be his personal assistant.

"During plaintiff’s time as McClurkin’s personal assistant, they engaged in 'pray the gay away' spiritual sessions, during which McClurkin groped Plaintiff’s genitals, all without his consent," the lawsuit alleges.

Corletto said McClurkin would create scenarios with other men that he said were "tests from God," and "coerced him into unwanted sexual acts" over the next six years, according to the lawsuit.

McClurkin took Corletto on trips to the Bahamas, California and Niagara Falls, where Corletto said McClurkin forced him to perform sexual acts and raped him, according to the lawsuit.

Corletto said he attempted to quit his personal assistant position several times, but McClurkin refused and told him their "purpose" and "deliverance" were connected, the suit says.

Corletto eventually left to work for a Christian broadcasting network, but McClurkin followed him to Orlando and Boston, where the abuse continued, the lawsuit says. He later convinced Corletto to return to the church and to go on a 2013 Niagara Falls trip, where he said he was sexually assaulted, according to the lawsuit.

Following the trip, McClurkin emailed Corletto an apology, the suit says.

"I am the actual epitome of a desperate dirty old man ... pawning and groping a young man, who is just looking for a friendship and close plutonic relationship with someone he ... looks to for help, guidance and spirituality," the email contained in the lawsuit states.

Corletto said the abuse continued until 2015, when he was struggling with his mental health and he returned to McClurkin's church for guidance, according to the lawsuit.

Corletto said he had "sustained injury, emotional distress, physical pain, emotional pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life," the lawsuit states.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.