| Updated: 9/14/2012 10:28 am |
Published: 9/09/2012 9:25 pm
|
A Tulsa man is expected to appear in court Friday.
He's accused of sexually assaulting a thirteen-year-old girl at a South Tulsa church.
The mother of the victim, though, wants to know why Victory Christian Center leaders waited so long to tell her and police about the alleged crime.
20-year-old Chris Denman is in the Tulsa Co. Jail awaiting formal rape charges. Police say he assaulted the girl on Aug. 13 in a stairwell at Victory Christian Center.
"I mean every morning it's just is this really happening? And yes, it is," says Brittney, the first name of the victim's mom.
She says church leaders did not tell her about the alleged rape until 17 days after it happened.
"By not reporting it in time to allow you know the window of evidence. For us to be there for her, all kinds of things. I cannot even begin to explain how angry that makes me feel," said Brittney.
She believes church leaders, and day camp leaders, never contacted Tulsa police. In fact, TPD says Brittney is the one who filed an initial police report on the incident. She filed that report Aug. 30.
"I want something done. Charges need to be brought up on them. I want them to experience what we are experiencing right now. They need to be held accountable for their lack of action," said Brittney.
TPD confirms investigators are looking into Brittney's claims that the rape went unreported.
FOX23's Adam Paluka could get no answers on the phone. So he went to the church where security guards prevented him from getting past the front door.
"They did nothing to help us," said Brittney.
She says the pastor at Victory Christian Center did call to offer prayers but did not offer an apology.
Denman is in the Tulsa Co. Jail on $100,000 bond; he's charged with first-degree rape.
