Former Morgan County Pastor found guilty of sodomy

MORGAN COUNTY, Ala. (WHEN) — A former priest was found guilty of sodomy after days of testimony.

Danny Duane Pitts was found guilty of second-degree sodomy following a hearing in Morgan County on Thursday, according to court officials.

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Pitts was originally indicted on two counts of sodomy in 2021, and his trial began Monday.

Testimony at the hearing began Tuesday with testimony from former Hartselle Police Investigator Amy Crouch.

Crouch testified that the then-teenager accuser disclosed details about various illicit sexual relationships between herself and her pastor, Danny Pitts.

At the time, Crouch testified that cases that were sexual in nature would be drafted into a report and presented to the DA’s office to decide whether to proceed to a grand jury. He testified that his investigation took almost a year, but he later sent it to prosecutors.

The victim in the case also tearfully testified that Pitts took advantage of her early in their counseling sessions. The victim said she initially kept it to herself, but later confided in her family, who offered support if she wanted to press charges.

Pitts will be sentenced on December 11. He is also awaiting trial in Tennessee on similar charges.

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