Why Was Man With Criminal Background Allowed To Work At Oklahoma DHS?

A man charged with six counts of sexual molestation against a child worked in a DHS licensed after-care program.

Detectives say Tony Greene is also behind a scheme of shell businesses, misused money and lies. He was convicted for fraud in Oklahoma and New York in 2004.

12/13/2011 Related Story: Tulsa Man Charged In Child Abuse Case Had Multiple Fraud Convictions

Some are wondering how Tony Greene got the job with those felony convictions on his record.

DHS does do a background check on anyone working in a licensed child care home or center. But not all charges will raise a red flag at the agency.

Greene worked at a DHS licensed after-school care program called ACES, which was run out of Academy Central.

"Whether new to child care or not, when these stories come up we freak out," said Karen Smith, who is with the Child Care Resource Center of Tulsa, which helps families find child care.

She says DHS does background checks on everyone who works in a licensed facility. DHS says Greene's Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation background check was clear.

The agency also checked Oklahoma's online court system and found charges against Greene for writing bonus checks.

But the statewide licensing coordinator says while convictions for drugs, child abuse, or violent offenses would keep you from getting a job at a DHS licensed facility, fraud convictions wouldn't.

Smith says that's why parents need to be vigilant.

"DHS goes into programs a minimum of four times a year, but you're in there as a parent every day. you need to be in there looking and asking questions," she said.

On the DHS website, you can click child care locator, type in a facility name, and look up the facility's history.

If there's a zero, that means no violations. A number means DHS found something wasn't quite right. Your facility should have this report on hand.

"If they say ‘oh I don't know where it is,' get concerned, what are they hiding?" Smith said. "Sometimes you need to use your gut rather than saying ‘oh my goodness I need to get child care today.'"

Lawmakers are working to make background checks on child care workers tougher, by moving to a fingerprinting system in 2013. DHS says it would flag new arrests of child care workers faster and it could be nationwide.