Teen Allegedly Raped At Oklahoma Church Camp

<p>A 13-year-old Texas girl was allegedly raped by a cook at the popular Falls Creek Baptist camp last summer.</p>

Wednesday, March 15th 2017, 12:52 pm

By: Grant Hermes


The family of a 13-year-old girl at the Falls Creek Camp in Davis is now suing the camp and two churches.

The suspect, 35-year-old Benjamin Petty, is charged with three rape-related felonies.

Petty was brought to the camp by the Country Estates Church in Midwest City. They wouldn't go on camera, but instead read a no comment statement to News 9 through the door, denying us the chance to ask any questions.

The crime allegedly happened at one of the most popular Baptist church camps in the country, Falls Creek. According to documents filed this month the camp is home to more than 50,000 teenagers every year.

Those documents say the rape of a Texas teen, only known as "Jane Doe", happened last June while she was on a week-long trip with the First Baptist Church of Terrell, Texas.

Documents say Petty is a convicted felon brought to the camp by Country Estates Baptist Church to be a cook, alleging he used "textbook pedophile/sexual predator tactics" on Jane over the course of three and a half days.

The documents then allege Petty lured Jane to a cabin, pulling her through a backdoor into his private bedroom where he tied her hands behind her back and raped her. Afterward he allegedly told Jane if she told anyone he would hurt her. But Jane did tell someone and Petty was "prematurely and hastily removed from Falls Creek by the Country Estates Youth Pastor", according to the suit.

Neither Country Estates, First Baptist of Terrell nor the Greater Baptist Convention of Oklahoma, which runs Falls Creek, commented on camera. In a statement the convention said in part, "Although Falls Creek is not responsible for the alleged behavior, the allegations are deeply disturbing and we are looking into them."

News 9 called First Baptist, but their pastor was out of town for Spring Break.

Country Estates read us a statement, saying in part, "We are praying for everyone involved in this situation. We have been advised by legal counsel not to comment."

Jane Doe's lawyers, who did not return our call today, say all three organizations were willfully grossly negligent by allowing Petty to be at the camp. She is asking for upwards of $675,000 in damages.

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