Bartlesville Man Charged With Molesting 3-Year-Old Girl

A Bartlesville man is accused of molesting a 3-year-old family member. Casey Burns was arrested last week when a friend said he walked in on Burns and the young girl.

Burns and Chris Cox were drinking beers together in a ground floor apartment on June 7. Three children, who Burns was taking care of, were also there.

"He, pretty much, was a friend. I've known him for about a year, and I would have never expected something like this coming from him," Cox said.

He said Burns had gone to the bathroom. A short time later, a 3-year-old girl went in with him.

Cox said he heard strange noises coming from inside and began listening closer.

"So I go and I put my ear up to the bathroom door, and it gets louder. She's crying so hard, she's sobbing," Cox said.

When he opened the door, Cox says Burns was sitting on the bathtub, his pants were at his ankles, but his boxer shorts were still on, and the little girl's head was in Burns' lap.

"It's sick and twisted," Cox said. "I mean, it's always going to be in my head. I'm always going to picture what I seen."

Cox kicked Burns out of his apartment and called police.

Police records show that Burns had the three children with him when he drove away.

He was eventually caught at a Dollar General, less than a half-mile from the apartment.

Police say Burns' blood alcohol level was .12.

Burns is no stranger to the justice system. In February 2012, he was convicted of second degree burglary, grand larceny, and making a bomb threat over the telephone. His seven-year prison sentence was suspended.

Burns' mother told us Thursday that her son is not guilty of these molestation charges.

In a statement to police, Burns said "...I was comforting (the girl). I had my boxers on and was sitting on the toilet and she was resting her head on my leg."

But Cox doesn't buy that, and he's glad he called police.

"I would have done the wrong thing if I didn't call. That would have been the wrong thing, and I didn't want to live with that for the rest of my life. I couldn't do it," Cox said.

Cox said he wouldn't hesitate to do the same thing again and he hopes Burns goes to jail for a long time.

Court records show, on June 11, Burns was charged with lewd molestation, child endangerment by driving under the influence, child neglect, eluding/attempting to elude officers, driving while under the influence, and driving with a suspended driver's license.