DECATUR, Ala. — Danny Duane Pitts, a former pastor of GracePoint Church in Decatur, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison following his conviction for second-degree sodomy. The case, which dates back to allegations first reported in 2007, involved Pitts engaging in sexual acts with a teenage boy during counseling sessions.
Pitts, 61, was arrested in 2021 and faced charges of both first- and second-degree sodomy. A jury found him guilty of the latter after a four-day trial in October. The victim, now an adult, provided emotional testimony about the abuse. Pitts was acquitted of first-degree sodomy charges, which require proof of coercion.
During sentencing, Circuit Judge Charles Elliott acknowledged the case’s moral complexity before delivering the maximum sentence. Pitts showed little emotion as he was taken into custody. He also faces similar charges in Tennessee.