Ministers of VCC's Pastor Sharon Daugherty Want Charges Dismissed
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Two Victory Christian Center youth ministers asked a judge Friday to dismiss the charges of failure to report child abuse against them based on the letter of state law, which they say fails to include the rape of a child as a type of child abuse.
The youth ministers, John Daugherty and Charica Daugherty, were charged in September, along with three other Victory Christian Center employees after they reportedly waited two weeks to report child abuse after a 13-year-old girl reported having been raped at the church. The Daugherty's were charged along with Paul Willemstein, 32, Anna George, 24, and Harold Frank Sullivan, 73.
John Daugherty is a son of Senior Pastor Sharon Daugherty, and Charica Daugherty is his wife. Sharon Daugherty has not been charged with any crimes.
A former church employee, Chris Denman, 20, has been jailed since Sept. 5 and is charged with six counts of sex crimes against children, including the rape of the 13-year-old girl. The charges also involve two other girls, ages 15 and 12.Also, another former church employee, Israel Shalom Castillo, 23, is charged with making a lewd or indecent proposal to a child and using a computer to facilitate a sex crime. Those charges involve a fourth alleged victim at the church - a 15-year-old girl.
Friday's motion to dismiss the charges against the Daughertys, filed in Tulsa County District Court, argues that because neither Castillo nor Denman was charged with child abuse, the Daughertys cannot face the charge of "failure to report child abuse."
Employee records show that Denman was released from his position as a Victory Christian intern Aug. 10 and was to return to work as a janitor Aug. 16, according to the motion.
The motion argues that because Denman and Castillo have not been charged with child abuse and cannot be charged with child abuse, the law regarding failure to report child abuse cannot be applied to the Daughertys.Source
