Church Responds After Employee Is Arrested For Lewd Proposal To A Minor

Boston Avenue Methodist Church is responding after a former childcare employee was arrested for lewd proposal of a minor.

Church Employee Arrested In Undercover Child Predator Operation 

The reverend at the church says his faith community is shocked and appalled but he says nothing ever stood out in Christopher Hosselkus's background check that gave them any concern.

Reverend David Wiggs says every person hired at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church goes through a thorough background check. He says the one on Hosselkus was clean.

"We actually had parent references as well of families who had worked with him. Positive references, actually glowing references," said Wiggs.

When Tulsa police contacted the church to tell them about the arrest he says TPD told them their check came back clean as well during their undercover investigation and arrest of Hosselkus who police say solicited an undercover female officer for sex.

"Law enforcement did their part finding out his intentions probably before anything happened here but we don’t know any places," said Wiggs.

Reverend Wiggs says Hosselkus worked on four different occasions at the church all during a three week period providing limited childcare during services and events.

He never worked at the weekday pre-school at the church.

"He was never alone with children and we have no incident reports that anything happened here and we think we have policies and procedures in place that prevent that," said Wiggs.

Those procedures and policies are called 'Safe Sanctuaries.'  It's an extensive list of protocols in place to help keep the vulnerable safe.

"This shows us anytime there are children involved whether its sports teams, school events, church events - there are some people who will try to use those settings for different purposes," said Wiggs.

Hosselkus is in the Tulsa County Jail on several complaints of lewd proposal to a minor.