| Updated: 6/21/2012 8:42 am |
Published: 6/20/2012 2:45 pm
|
Tulsa Police arrested a north Tulsa couple earlier this week for their role in the sexual abuse of a child from 2006 to this May.
Police say James “Woody” Woodcock sexually abused an underage girl on a number of occasions. TPD also believes Woodcock's wife, Jenni Woodcock, who is the victim's biological grandmother, wouldn't help with a DHS investigation three years ago, the investigation looked into claims Woodcock was sexually abusing the child.
A corporal with TPD’s Child Crisis Unit says had the grandmother followed the law, the victim would have probably avoided years of physical and emotional pain.
“The victim actually told a friend of hers a couple of years ago, that friend told DHS and they attempted to investigate the situation,” TPD Corporal Greg Smith told FOX23 Wednesday.
Smith says Jenni Woodcock didn't believe the girl, who was nine years old at the time, about the abuse.
“After some missed appointments, the grandmother stopped answering her calls and quit cooperating with the investigation.”
Police say back in 2009, they didn't have enough evidence to arrest Woody Woodcock.
“At that point there was insufficient information to prove that the child needed to be removed and insufficient for a law enforcement investigation,” Corporal Smith said.
Child abuse experts say it's not surprising the victim didn't speak out about the abuse for another three years.
“When they go unbelieved it really often times makes them feel abandoned trapped in some of the abuse that's happened, and there's really no one that they can talk with about it,” Christine Marsh with Family & Children’s Services Tulsa, said.
Last month, the victim, who is now twelve years old, told her mother about the abuse, and she contacted authorities. Woody Woodcock now faces five counts of child sexual abuse. Jenni is also charged with a felony, permitting child sexual abuse.
The victim is now in the custody of her mother. Police tell FOX23 Woody Woodcock has denied all of the allegations the victim has made against him.
