Three Victory Christian Employees Plead No Contest To Misdemeanor Charges

Three employees of Tulsa's Victory Christian Center were sentenced after they entered pleas to misdemeanor charges Monday.

Paul Willemstein, Anna George and Harold Sullivan each waived their right to a jury trial and pleaded no contest to charges of failure to report the rape of a 13-year-old girl in a timely manner.

Willemstein showed little reaction when the judge handed down his sentence.

George sobbed a little bit and put her hands up to her face. George and Willemstein walked into the courtroom holding hands and were escorted out in handcuffs.

"If you're an adult in a capacity over children and you get a report that they've been abused, you must report. That's what this is all about," said District Attorney Tim Harris.

2/13/2013 Related Story: Three Tulsa Church Employees To Plead In Sex Case, Two Others Want Trial

Before the sentencing, the prosecution called a victim's mother to the stand. Her 13-year-old daughter was raped by Victory Christian janitor Chris Denman. The mother explained how her daughter changed during the weeks following the rape. She said her teen's grades dropped dramatically, she was barely eating and would go to bed early.

"I don't know that there can be any more important or any more higher-priority misdemeanor crime than that, because there is nothing more important than the children of our county and the children of our state," said prosecutor Sarah McAmis.

Sullivan also pleaded no contest. He received a one-year deferred sentence, which means he will not spend time behind bars.

The judge said he gave Sullivan a lighter sentence, because he took action after learning about the rape, by firing Denman.

"I believe, on behalf of the citizens in Tulsa County and the victims of this case, that it sends a message to this community on how important our children are," Harris said.

Denman was sentenced to 55 years in prison.

A second former employee, Israel Castillo, goes to trial in August on a felony charge of making a lewd proposal to a child.

Two other Victory Christian employees, Charica and John Daugherty, are also charged with failing to report the assault in a timely manner. They have chosen to have a jury trial, which is scheduled for May.