Wagoner County Deputies Arrest Man Accused Of Molesting 5-Year-Old

A Wagoner man is accused of molesting a 5-year-old girl. He was arrested for lewd molestation.

The Wagoner County Sheriff's Office said there may or may not be other victims out there, but they want everyone to have the chance to speak up.

Investigators said 38-year-old Sherman Hammons admitted he ran his hand across a 5-year-old girl's leg and her privates, over her clothing, and told her not to tell anyone.

"Nobody knew until the child told somebody," Investigator Joel Weber said.

Weber said the child spoke up to a relative months later, who then went to the girl's mother and she reported it to the sheriff's office.

"She was completely unaware," he said.

The sheriff's office said the incident happened at Hammons' home in the Whitehorn Cove area while she was watching cartoons.

He was living with one of the victim's relatives and investigators said she was there to visit family.

Now that Hammons has been arrested, Weber said other possible victims may feel like they can speak up, too. He said that means parents need to have a serious conversation.

"A lot of times children won't come right out and tell their parents this kind of thing," the investigator said.

Weber said if children have had contact with Hammons, parents should ask specific questions. If there's a concern something happened with him, investigators want parents to reach out.

"We can have the child forensically interviewed by professionals that know how to speak to children. And they often times get the truth out of children in very uncomfortable situations," Weber said.

If you need to get in touch with investigators, call the Wagoner County Sheriff's Office 918-485-3124.