Former Victory Christian janitor will face trial on count of indecent proposal of a child
BY JARREL WADE World Staff Writer
Thursday, November 29, 2012
11/29/12 at 11:49 AM
A Tulsa judge ordered Israel Shalom Castillo, a former employee of Victory Christian church, bound over for trial Thursday on one count of lewd or indecent proposal to a child, while dismissing a second count of using a computer to facilitate a sex crime.
Special Judge Clifford Smith ordered the count dismissed based on a defense motion that argued both counts against Castillo relied on the same evidence.
Castillo, 23, is charged with making a lewd or indecent proposal to a 14-year-old girl he met through Victory Christian Center. He has pleaded not guilty.
Sarah McAmis, Tulsa County assistant district attorney, said the investigation has revealed additional “young women” who are expected to testify at Castillo’s trial, but she declined to identify the witnesses as potential victims or how many additional witnesses she planned on testifying.
“It’s not appropriate (to say) at this time,” McAmis said.
Castillo’s preliminary hearing was postponed last month after prosecutors said they were investigating a possible second victim in his case.
Thursday’s hearing went into a closed session as the 14-year-old alleged victim was called in to testify, prosecutors said.
McAmis said the victim’s testimony regarded her relationship with Castillo, whom she knew for at least two years.
After the girl’s testimony, the hearing reopened to the public for a second prosecution witness, Tulsa Police Detective Darren Carlock, who investigated the case.
Carlock’s testimony focused on conversations he had with Castillo during the investigation.
Carlock testified Castillo told him about his meeting with former Victory Christian Human Resources Director Harold Frank Sullivan and Facilities Director Steve Worley, who allegedly fired Castillo based on an internal investigation days before police were notified.
“I believe they (Sullivan and Worley) told him law enforcement would probably be involved, but at the same time, they told him it would be best to return to his family” in Texas, Carlock said. “It sounded like that was the best offer they gave him.”
Read more on this story in Friday's Tulsa World.
Associated Images:
Israel Shalom Castillo
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