Judge Sentences Tulsa Man For Sexually Abusing Girl In 2011

<p>Adam Zilm, 35, is headed to prison for 36 years for sexually abusing an 11-year old girl in 2011. &nbsp;</p>

Saturday, January 21st 2017, 10:03 am

By: News On 6


Adam Zilm, 35, is headed to prison for 36 years for sexually abusing an 11-year old girl in 2011.  

No one cried harder at the news, than the victim, who is now 15 and says it was all a misunderstanding.

This case is unusual because at the time the 11-year-old victim raced to a neighbor's house and told them what happened, told the police, told her mom and had a sexual assault exam but very shortly after that, she recanted. 

She even testified at trial it was a misunderstanding, but the jury convicted him anyway.

"She tried to justify and explain what happened based on the family pressure put on her but really, once the jury was able to hear the confession by the defendant, there really was no question what happened here," said Assistant Tulsa County DA Sarah McAmis.

McAmis says Adam Zilm was giving the girl a massage in a bed, while the girl's mother was at work, him wearing only boxer shorts and the girl wearing only a t-shirt while rubbing oil on her.

Neighbors say the girl was shaking and crying when she told them a sexual assault occurred.

Zilm told police he was a certified massage therapist and if there was sexual contact, it was accidental.

The DA says the girl's mother promised DHS she'd keep the victim away from Zilm and moved out of state, but for the next four years, let him stay with them on weekends. 

Despite the girl recanting, the jury found Zilm guilty back in November 2016 and recommended he be sentenced to prison.

11/18/2016 Related Story: Tulsa Man Found Guilty Of Sexually Abusing 11-Year-Old Girl

"The defendant fully confessed to what happened. Absolutely no doubt. The state always understood the pressure this little girl was under," said Sarah McAmis.

Zilm's father testified the victim and her sister respected his son and they now cry and miss him and they're all crushed by his conviction. Zilm's attorney asked the judge to reduce the sentence. He did not.

Even though the girl and her family were crying, the DA hopes someday she'll realize what happened here, was justice for her. 

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