| Updated: 9/19/2012 9:30 am |
Published: 9/18/2012 10:27 pm
|
A former Victory Christian Center employee accused of lewd proposals to a minor has yet to turn himself in to authorities.
It’s unclear if 23-year-old Israel Castillo is still in the Tulsa area. Meantime, the church says Castillo and another man, Chris Denman, who is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl at the church, both passed an extensive background check.
Five church employees are charged with misdemeanors. They’re accused of failing to report the alleged assault in a timely manner.
Now, members of the congregation are speaking up for the church on social media, such as FOX23's Facebook page.
Here are a few comments:
"FOX is about raising issues to get angry about. It's not about real news."
"FOX conveniently forgets to mention those five are charged with misdemeanors and that the youth pastor had limited knowledge."
"How sad that you can't report the whole story, only what people want to hear."
"Still, the burden is on the adult to do the right thing," said Corporal Greg Smith. He handles child crisis for TPD.
Other comments on the FOX23 fan page point out inappropriate emails and texts sent in the case.
"There's an age of consent, below which the child can't consent," said child abuse expert Sharon Doty.
Smith said in many cases, that age of consent is 16, and even if communication crossed the line.
"No minor, no minor can give consent to being molested by an adult," said Doty. "Kids want to feel important to the adults in their life.”
Doty said no matter a child's age, parents and other trusted adults should keep the lines of communication open. Let kids know what's inappropriate and don't judge when they confide in you.
"You just have to keep working with kids and telling them this is what predators do," said Doty.
