Ex-Victory Christian employee pleads guilty to sex crimes
BY BILL BRAUN World Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
10/30/12 at 7:02 AM
A Tulsan who is charged with sex crimes against three girls in the Victory Christian Center case pleaded guilty to six felonies Monday.
Chris Denman, 20, is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 12 on counts of first-degree rape, forcible oral sodomy, lewd molestation, making a lewd proposal to a child and two counts of using a computer to facilitate a sex crime.
Denman, who gave up his right to a jury trial, has no agreement with prosecutors regarding his sentencing.
Tulsa County District Judge Bill Musseman, who will determine the sentence, told Denman that he likely is "going to spend a lot of time in prison."
Assistant District Attorney Sarah McAmis indicated that the prosecution will present evidence - including input from victims - at a sentencing hearing.
The six counts cumulatively allow a total sentence of life plus 70 years in prison.
Four of the counts require a defendant to serve 85 percent of any prison term before being paroled from prison.
The charges filed in September involve three girls, ages 12, 13 and 15 at the time of the crimes, which were committed in August, records show.
On Oct. 11, Denman, a former employee of Victory Christian Center - a 17,000-member megachurch in Tulsa - waived his right to a preliminary hearing. He has been in the Tulsa Jail since Sept. 5.
Denman and Israel Shalom Castillo, both members of Victory Christian, worked as janitors in the same department at the church, according to information provided previously by the church.
Castillo, 23, was charged in September with making a lewd or indecent proposal to a child and using a computer to facilitate a sex crime, involving a fourth alleged victim - a 15-year-old girl.
Castillo is free on bond and awaits a Nov. 29 preliminary hearing.
The investigation into the allegations led to charges of failure to report child abuse against five Victory Christian staff members, including a son and daughter-in-law of Senior Pastor Sharon Daugherty.
Original Print Headline: Rape suspect pleads guilty
Bill Braun 918-581-8455
bill.braun@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Former Victory Christian Center employee Chris Denman is led away in shackles by Deputy Brian Fenn after pleading guilty to sex-crime charges at the Tulsa County Courthouse on Monday. MATT BARNARD / Tulsa World
Former Victory Christian Center employee Chris Denman (center) and another inmate are escorted out of court in shackles by Tulsa County Sheriff's Deputy Brian Fenn on Monday. MATT BARNARD / Tulsa World
|
