Shelter employee jailed after prosecutors charge him with sexual abuse

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- A Tulsa youth shelter employee was jailed Wednesday after prosecutors charged him with sexually abusing a girl who was staying at the shelter.

Worley Holmes, a part-time residential adviser at a Youth Services of Tulsa shelter, has been suspended indefinitely. He was charged Tuesday in Tulsa County District Court with improperly touching a 15-year-old girl.

Holmes was jailed late Wednesday, according to Tulsa Jail booking information.

The 50-year-old was supervising overnight at the shelter when the abuse is alleged to have occurred around 3 a.m. Nov. 11, Detective Rod Russo said. The girl was under his custody when he is accused of fondling her and touching her improperly, Russo said.

Holmes had been an employee at the Youth Services of Tulsa shelter for four months, Russo said. He had no previous criminal record, he said.

Youth Services of Tulsa Executive Director Sharon Terry said extensive job and criminal history checks are conducted before any shelter employee is hired.

The agency watches specifically for violent and nonviolent crimes against people in criminal history searches, Terry said.

"Any employee has successfully completed the background check," she said. "We would not hire them otherwise."

Terry said she couldn't comment on the specifics of Holmes'

case, pending police and Department of Human Services investigations.