Daughertys will go to trial in Victory Christian sex crime case
BY JARREL WADE World Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
2/13/13 at 10:25 AM
John and Charica Daugherty, Victory Christian Center staff members accused of not reporting the rape of a 13-year-old girl for two weeks, are heading to a jury trial while three other staff members accused on the same charges waived a jury trial on Wednesday.
The three staff members who waived jury trial will enter pleadings and could face sentencing on March 18.
The Daughertys, who are the son and daughter-in-law of Victory Christian Senior Pastor Sharon Daugherty, will go to a jury sounding docket on May 10 with a jury trial scheduled to follow, according to Tulsa County Special Judge Bill Hiddle.
The three other Victory Christian staff charged in the case are Paul Howard Willemstein, Anna Alisa George and Harold Frank Sullivan.
If Willemstein, George and Sullivan enter blind pleas in March, they will face sentencing by the judge.
"We have the opportunity to present aggravating evidence" against Willemstein, George and Sullivan, said Tulsa County Assistant District Attorney Sarah McAmis. "And show why we believe they should be held accountable."
All five staff members face a maximum penalty of up to a year in jail.
The rape of the 13-year-old year girl led to an investigation that revealed more victims of sex crimes and a second child-sex-crime suspect, who was also allegedly not reported to authorities during the two-week period.
The second suspect, Israel Shalom Castillo, 23, was charged with making a lewd or indecent proposal over Facebook to a 14-year-old girl, according to court records.
He has pleaded not guilty and faces a jury trial scheduled in August.
Chris Denman, 20, worked with Castillo as a janitor at Victory Christian and in other capacities.
Denman pleaded guilty last year to six felony child-sex charges, including the rape of the 13-year-old girl. He was sentenced to 55 years in prison and five years of probation.
Associated Images:
Clockwise from upper left: Paul Howard Willemstein, Anna Alisa George, Harold Frank Sullivan, and John and Charica Daugherty.
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