OILTON man sentenced to 20 years in prison for molesting little girl

DRUMRIGHT, Okla. (AP) _ A Creek County judge sentenced an Oilton man Monday to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 3-year-old relative. <br><br>Creek County District Judge Joe Sam Vassar handed

Tuesday, August 7th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

DRUMRIGHT, Okla. (AP) _ A Creek County judge sentenced an Oilton man Monday to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 3-year-old relative.

Creek County District Judge Joe Sam Vassar handed three 20-year terms to Jerry Ray Hedge Jr. and ordered the sentences to run concurrently.

Hedge, 20, pleaded guilty last week to first-degree rape, forcible sodomy and lewd molestation stemming from an attack on the child in June 2000.

Hedge also was fined $100 on each count and was ordered to attend and complete the Sexual Offender Treatment Program while in Department of Corrections custody, Assistant District Attorney Don Nelson said.

Vassar sentenced Hedge to 20 years in prison in an April plea agreement, but Hedge retracted his plea and his case was set for trial. Hedge pleaded guilty again during an Aug. 1 pretrial conference.

He had no previous adult criminal record, but a DOC background report prepared when it was thought Hedge would be sentenced in May ``reveals a juvenile sexual offense involving a child'' when Hedge was 14.

There is no record of adjudication, but the defendant was ordered to undergo counseling, the report states.

Department of Human Services officials told Oilton police last year that Hedge had called the Creek County DHS office and ``self-reported'' that he had abused a child at his parents' Oilton home, documents indicate.

An investigation revealed that on June 4, 2000, Hedge assaulted the little girl and reportedly offered her a dollar to let him do something to her.