Donnie McClurkin, a Grammy-winning gospel singer and pastor, sexually abused a young man over several years and wrote an apology email declaring himself a "dirty 'old man,'" according to a lawsuit filed in New York state court in Manhattan.

Giuseppe Corletto says in the lawsuit that he was struggling to reconcile his sexuality with his faith when he sought out McClurkin in 2003. The lawsuit says Corletto, then 21, went to McClurkin’s church in Long Island after reading his autobiographical book, which described how God helped him overcome the "curse" of homosexuality.

An attorney for McClurkin, now 66, said the allegations are "categorically false."