Victory Christian Center employees plead not guilty to failing to report abuse
BY JARREL WADE World Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
9/26/12 at 10:44 AM
Five suspended Victory Christian Center employees pleaded not guilty to charges of failing to report child abuse in an initial arraignment
Wednesday morning related to a sexual abuse case at the church.
Paul Howard Willemstein, 32, associate youth pastor; Anna Alisa George, 24, high school outreach program director; Harold Frank Sullivan, 73, human resources director; Charica Dene Daugherty, 27, assistant senior high youth pastor; and John Samuel Daugherty, 28, senior high youth pastor, are scheduled to make their next court appearance Oct. 31.
The Victory Christian staff members, including Senior Pastor Sharon Daugherty's son and daughter-in-law, were suspended from their employment pending disciplinary action.
The five were charged Sept. 17 with failing to report child abuse after an alleged two-week lapse in reporting the initial rape allegations.
Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris said his office will begin to work with the employees to negotiate a plea deal or the charges will go to jury trial.
Chris Denman, 20, is jailed on six charges alleging sex crimes against
children at the church: a 12-year-old girl, a 13-year-old girl and a
15-year-old girl.
Denman was fired during the church's investigation into rape allegations.
Israel Shalom Castillo, 23, is charged with making a lewd or indecent
proposal to a 15-year-old girl and using a computer to facilitate a sex
crime, records show.
Denman and Castillo, both members of the church, worked as janitors in the
same department, according to information provided by Victory Christian.
Denman remains in jail with bail set at $200,000. Castillo was released
Friday after posting bond.
Associated Images:
Victory Christian Center employees John Samuel Daugherty (left) and Charica Dene Daugherty leave an initial arraignment Wednesday at the Tulsa County Courthouse on a charge of failure to report child abuse. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Victory Christian Center employees Paul Willemstein (left) and Anna George make their way into court Wednesday for an initial arraignment at the Tulsa County Courthouse on a charge of failure to report child abuse. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
District Attorney Tim Harris speaks to the media Wednesday at the Tulsa County Courthouse after an initial arraignment for Victory Christian Center employees in a failure to report child abuse case. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
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