Douglas Polk Pleads Guilty In 'Broken Arrow Angel' Case

By Ashli Sims, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- The fate of a confessed child rapist is now in the hands of a judge.

Douglas Polk pled guilty to a string of charges tied to sexually assaulting two young girls.

Polk didn't get a plea deal, so he must accept whatever sentence the judge gives him.

Douglas Polk's attorney says his client wanted to plead guilty now to spare his victims a trial.

In a matter of weeks, Douglas Polk has gone from suspect to charged to guilty.

"Certainly Mr. Polk's plea of guilty today came much faster than the normal judicial process," Tim Harris, Tulsa County District Attorney, said.

But it's been a long process for one of Polk's victims. It was 2007 when a five year old little girl was taken from her front yard, sexually assaulted and dumped eight miles from her Broken Arrow home.

She was called the "BA Angel" and the search for her attacker stretched from months into years.

Turns out she was not alone. The man who would eventually confess to assaulting the "BA Angel" was sexually abusing another girl.

Prosecutors say that abuse started in 2006 and picked up again just a few months ago. And reports from that victim led police to Douglas Polk's home.

Once he confessed to abusing the relative, officers started asking about the "BA Angel." Polk confessed to that crime too.

The victims weren't in court, but two of those Broken Arrow officers were.

"I want to commend them publicly they did a great job in presenting this case to the D.A.'s office, and without their assistance these families would not have received justice," Harris said.

Shackled before the judge, Polk cried as his crimes were described. His attorney says his client is remorseful and didn't want to cause his victims any more pain with a trial.

"It's probably the most difficult thing he's ever had to do in his whole life," Brian Rayl, Defense Attorney, said. "Stand up in front of people and admit what he did. It's very emotional."

Sorry or not, prosecutors want Polk to spend the rest of his days in a prison cell.

"My stance will be a punishment that makes sure he never gets out of the penitentiary to have access to any child ever again," Harris said.

The punishments for Douglas Polk's crimes range from a couple of years to life in prison. Prosecutors say they'll ask the judge for consecutive life sentences.

A judge will decide what's appropriate on June 18th.

5/3/2010 Related story: Broken Arrow Man To Make Court Appearance In 2007 Kidnapping And Assault Case