Former Tulsa Police Officer Pleads Guilty To Child Sex Crimes

A former police officer pleaded guilty to a sex crime in federal court. Noel McFadden admitted to giving a cell phone to an 8-year-old girl and asking her to take a nude picture.

U.S. Attorney Jeff Gallant said the guilty plea was made possible by the courage of one little girl who told someone what her neighbor had done to her.

McFadden has lived in his Broken Arrow neighborhood 30 years. Police said he used his status as a retired police officer to get parents and children to trust him but then abused that trust.

2/16/2018 Related Story: Retired TPD Officer Accused Of Child Sex Crimes Pleads Guilty

"He was the neighborhood grandpa. They never had children, so, he made himself out to be the one taking in all the other kids,” said parent Amber Evans.

The U.S. attorney said McFadden sexually abused the 8-year-old girl and her sister - and while those charges will be dropped, they can be considered at McFadden's sentencing.

Gallant said two of McFadden's grown nieces also said they were victims when they were children.

Grandmother Barbara Thompson said, "We don't want to forget we are the voices of the ones before us because there are victims in their 50s."

McFadden's attorney, Stanley Monroe, said McFadden saw himself as a nice man who was generous to the people and kids in his neighborhood, but, in this case, took that relationship many steps too far.

"He definitely feels bad. His wife feels very bad. It's a horrible outcome for everybody," Monroe said.

Gallant said the guilty plea will prevent the girls from having to go through a trial.

"One of the most difficult things beyond the abuse itself is to go through the court proceedings," he said.

Thompson and Evans said the girls are not victims, they are survivors.

"Oh, they're doing good. They're great. They're strong," they said.

McFadden faces a minimum of 15 years in prison and a max of 30.

He'll be sentenced in May.